Hard Rock/Metal Reviews & Interviews

Buck Satan & The 666 Shooters-Bikers Welcome & Ladies Drink for Free

2012-01-29T15:14:00.000-08:00

AFM Records 2012

Let me preface that I’m a huge Al Jourgensen and Ministry fan and I think that Al went out on a high note when he retired on the C-U LaTour. Just a mere two years since Al put Ministry in mothballs that they’re back and have an album coming in the spring of 2012. It sounds like the money has run dry doesn’t it? In addition to the new Ministry album and tour; after nearly 20 years Al has decided to release the highly anticipated album from his country side project Buck Satan & The 666 Shooters.

It’s no secret that Jourgensen is a fan of country music’s glory days of the 50s & 60s he’s played Hank Williams Sr. on the PA during the band’s set up. Al’s heart is the right place but this project is half baked. While it does have a ‘country vibe’ to it in the end it’s nothing more than a mediocre Ministry album with some ‘twang’ to it. The drum programming sounds great on Ministry records but on this it’s a horrible, unimaginative and down-right disrespectful. The fact that the band is plugged in and attacking the songs with the ferocity that they’d attack a Ministry tune just adds to confusion of this album. Just because you throw in some fiddle, some lap steel doesn’t make it ‘country.’

Al stated in a recent interview that Buck Owens blessed this band; I don’t believe him and Buck Owens isn’t around to speak on the matter. Al has also stated that he wanted country musicians to guest--they didn’t. I can see why. Among the monotony that is Bikers Welcome & Ladies Drink for Free there are a couple of moments albeit by chance I’m sure that produced a glimmer of hope; “Quicker than Liquor,” “The Only Time I’m Sober is When You’re Gone,” “Ten Long Years in Texas,” and “Cheap Wine, Cheap Ramen” are very good. If there had been more like the mentioned tracks this album would have gelled better and there would have been more cohesion. One word of advice for Al as he’s threatened to make another Buck Satan album; for the love of God drop the goofy programming and drum machines it makes the album sound like a demo! Do it right next time.

Styx-The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live (Blu-Ray & DVD)

2012-01-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2012

Before they teamed up with Yes this past summer Styx hopped on the latest trend of playing an entire album live. Not to be out done Styx elected to play the spectacular The Grand Illusion album from top to bottom but also the extravagant Pieces of Eight record in its entirety. Styx was at their peak toward the end of the 70s and these two albums are still held in high regard by fans and critics alike.

This DVD entitled The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live was recorded November 9, 2010 at the famous Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennessee. Styx played both these classic albums throughout the entire tour and received rave reviews. If you missed that tour you missed a once in a life time opportunity but never fear the Styx has finally released the DVD of the Memphis performance. It’s unknown why the delay in the release of this DVD however it’s better late than never.

Let me tell you that this was well worth the wait this performance boasts a 20 song set and runs a magnificent 2 hours plus in length. The performance was shot with 11 high definition cameras and the audio is simply stunning. For those that aren’t aware Styx at the present time is comprised of James "J.Y." Young on vocals/guitars/keyboards, Tommy Shaw on vocals/guitar, Todd Sucherman on drums, Lawrence Gowan on vocals/ keyboards, Ricky Phillips on bass/backing vocals and Chuck Panozzo on bass guitar. As you watch The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight Live you are reminded just how many of the songs from these two albums are still played in the Styx set to this day. With songs like; “The Grand Illusion,” “Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man),” “Come Sail Away,” “Miss America,” “The Grand Finale,” “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” and “Renegade” you’re reminded of just how many hits Styx generated between these two albums.

Scorpions-Comeblack

2012-01-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

Sony Legacy 2012

In 2010 Scorpions announced that they would be disbanding after 46 years in the business. They would embark on a two year farewell tour behind their strongest effort in years Sting in the Tail. You’d assume Scorpions would follow up the brilliant Sting in the Tail with either a live album, DVD or both; not an album comprised of re-recorded Scorpions classics and a handful of covers from the 60s and 70s. The name alone makes you wonder if the band has lost their collective minds—Comeblack? I assume that’s a play on ‘comeback’ and a ‘funeral?’

The first sign that Comeblack is a haphazardly put together project—is the lack of liners. The breakdown on Comeblack looks like this; seven re-recorded Scorpions classics and six covers. Anytime a band re-records a classic it’s hard to recapture the energy and vibe of the original. Such seems to be the case with Scorpions and “Rhythm of Love” and “No One Like You” they sound too contemporary and Klaus Meine sounds genuinely bored—you can almost envision him in the studio saying “not this again?!” Things improve on “The Zoo” it has a live feel. Mathias Jabs adds a bluesy spin to the main riff as he does in concert. “Rock You Like A Hurricane” and “Blackout” have a detuned, edgier sound to them-- I’m indifferent about that. They round out the classics with the superb “Wind of Change” which is close to the original as is “Still Loving You.” The only reason I can think of Scorpions re-cutting a handful of classics is to own the masters which they can then shop for use for use in film, TV or commercials. That’s rock ‘n’ roll in 2012 people.

The covers are a mixed bag as well; Scorpions tried injected their brand of hard rock to some well-known tracks. “Tainted Love” the songs made famous by Gloria Jones is sped up and electrified however it doesn’t get past b-side status. The same can be said for their take of The Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night.” Their take on The Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday” is an uninspiring version that had me tracking down the original. Scorpions hit the mark on their versions of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution,” The Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” and The Small Faces’ “Tin Soldier.” If they would have done more like the aforementioned it would have made for a better listening experience.

So this is how Scorpions got out; an album of re-treads and mostly uninspiring covers. As a Scorpions fan I would have loved Scorpions either do a complete covers album with deeper cuts or if they were re-cutting classics; dig deeper and bring in some guests. Comeblack simply isn’t a proper send off for this legendary band. So while the farewell tour rolls on-- I cringe at the thought of a classic Scorpions song being dropped from the set for let’s say, “Tainted Love.”

UFO-Seven Deadly

2012-01-23T14:01:00.000-08:00

SPV USA 2012

On their last album Phil Mogg and Co ratcheted things up a few notches; the result was the no frills album The Visitor. The latest UFO offering is entitled Seven Deadly and features grotesque artwork that appears to have been created with microsoft’s paint program-it’s cringe worthy. Album cover aside the music found within is a continuation of the foundation (of this incarnation of the band) laid with You Are Here. Phil Mogg isn’t an extraordinary singer by any means, but he does a magnificent job and the right guy for the job in UFO. Phil remains the wily silver fox with the dry British sense of humor and note books of clever lyrics; “Fight Night” is evidence of this.

On album number four of the Vinnie Moore era they’ve delivered yet another astounding, solid, melodic classic rock record. Once again Vinnie displays a great feel for what the songs need rather than laying down meaningless notes and riffs simply for the sake of doing so. Moore has also injected a bluesy feel to the albums that he’s played in and this at the direction of Mogg. This is a great move that has given this version of the band its own identity. The standouts on Seven Deadly are;”Wonderland” it has a great hook and a spectacular solo, “Mojo Town” has a memorable groove, a great driving riff and a verbose solo. Ballads have been UFO strong suit; “Angel Station” and “Waving Goodbye” continue that tradition. Other standouts are; “The Last Stoner Rider” a great memorable mid-tempo track and “Fight Night” a rambunctious rocker that rivals “Hell Driver” from The Visitor. In 2012, despite the departure of Pete Way--all things are well in UFO land.

Queen-Days of Our Lives (DVD)

2012-01-23T13:51:00.000-08:00

Eagle Entertainment 2012

There’s no question if you’re a hard rock fan that you’re familiar with the story of the band Queen. There’s also no denying the contribution they made that has helped shape rock music since their 1973 self-titled debut album. Unlike some of the documentaries that I’ve seen throughout the years this one is different; this one is sanctioned by the band and includes the participation of guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. Unfortunately, the only appearances by bassist John Deacon is via vintage BBC interview footage. Deacon quit the music business since Queen disbanded after Freddie Mercury’s death and he doesn’t do interviews-not even for this documentary.

Days of Our Lives is a brilliant piece that covers the entire history of the band from May’s first brush with the young, flamboyant Freddie Mercury to the formation of the band to their breakthrough record a Night at the Opera, breaking in America, recording The Game and the songs that became stadium anthems . There were lows as well; losing America in the mid 80’s, declining sales in North America following the lack luster Hot Space, the near break-up and the ultimate death of front man Freddie Mercury from complications with Aids in 1991. The inclusion of people within Queen’s inner circle such as; record label representatives, management, studio personnel, and members of the media adds a diverse perspective on what was going on at different stages of the band’s career. The highlights of Days of Our Lives are; Queen’s by chance meeting with The Sex Pistols, Queen’s comeback performance at Live Aid, and the detailed accounts of the recordings of the criminally underrated last recordings The Miracle and Innuendo. That’s all you’re getting for a review; I challenge you to pick up the DVD or Blueray take two hours of your life and watch Days of Our Lives from beginning to end without interruption. You will be touched by the stories shared by May and Taylor. If you don’t feel May’s joy that he felt when he father told him he approved of his career choice or you don’t feel the pain and grief that both May and Taylor feel to this day about Mercury’s passing—you’re not human.

Primal Fear-Unbreakable

2012-01-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

Frontiers Records 2012

Primal Fear fans have been salivating like a pack of hungry wolves for the past few months with anticipation of the new album Unbreakable. On their ninth studio effort the German quartet return with a melodic, powerful, memorable album. Primal Fear’s last album 16:6-Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead was heavy on epic anthems and showcased an overindulgent sound. 16:6-Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead was well received by the band’s core fan base but it certainly won’t go down as one of the band’s shining moments. That record did afford Primal Fear an opportunity to tour the U.S. extensively, which they had not done in years.

Fans that have followed Primal Fear’s career know what to expect when they pick up of their albums; similar to when you pick up a Motorhead, AC/DC, Slayer or Iron Maiden album. Since the release of the last album the band added Alex Beyrodt on guitar and he makes his first studio appearance on the album alongside Magnus Karlsson. They two complement one another brilliantly. That’s not to say that Henny Wolter isn’t missed-- they don’t lose anything either. Despite the change in line-up the band sound is untouched; you get loud, distorted melodic, dueling guitars, Ralph Scheeper’s powerhouse vocals and huge, booming drums. Keeping bassist Mat Sinner as producer further adds to the consistency of the band’s sound. All strengths aside-Primal Fear’s lyrical content continues to be a shortcoming; the best (or worst) example of this is their first single “Bad Guys Wear Black” and “Metal Nations.” For a great as the band is musically at times the lyrics are pedestrian at best. “Bad Guys Wear Black: is a tip of the hat to the rivet heads that have supported this subgenre throughout the years. The intention is honorable however the lyrics are embarrassingly bad.

Unbreakable is a return to form stylistically for Primal Fear some might say that they’ve kept it somewhat safe on this one. Unbreakable will thrill those that love the band’s Judas Priest and Dio influenced 1998’s Primal Fear through 2004’s Devil’s Ground. Unbreakable suffers a little from too much material; Unbreakable is an upgrade from the previous effort and could be the predecessor to 2005’s Seven Seals. Ralph Scheepers and Co have righted the ship—standout tracks like; “Give ‘Em Hell,” and “Strike” two dynamic, energetic, heavy metal songs that are made for the live setting. Primal Fear has also been known for their ballads; “Where Angels Dare” is another magnificent power ballad in a line of many.

The Best Of-The Interviews of 2011

2011-12-23T20:14:00.000-08:00

The Top 20 List of 2011

2011-12-22T23:13:00.000-08:00

This year I wanted to scale down my list of 20 albums to 10 albums. Easier said than done! I failed miserably! I couldn’t bring myself to drop staples Megadeth and Motorhead from my list, so they'll show up as honerable mentions. I hope that come the end of 2012 I have just as much trouble narrowing it down to just 10 albums.I like having a lot to choose from. So here we go.

1.) Michael Monroe-Sensory Overdrive (Spinefarm Records)

If Michael Monroe released this album as the follow up to 1989’s Not Faking It this album would be huge. Sadly the times have changed that however doesn’t detract from the brilliance of this album.

2.)Whitesnake-Forevermore (Frontiers Records)

Lord Coverdale found his right hand man in (guitarist) Doug Aldrich; as a result Forevermore on par with Slide It In and the self-titled 1987 record.

3.)Iced Earth-Dystopia (Century Media)

In 2011 it was business as usual for Iced Earth; Dystopia marked another line-up change as Stu Block took over for the departed Matt Barlow and return to form.

4.)Benedictum- Dominion (Frontiers Records)

Powerful, melodic vocals, crushing riffs and catchy memorable songs—that is Benedictum.

5.)Anthrax-Worship Music (Megaforce Records)

The reunion with Joey Belladonna could have imploded before this album’s completion. It didn’t and Anthrax released the best effort of the Belladonna era since Among the Living.

6.)White Wizzard-Flying Tigers (Earache Records)

I’m absolutely in awe that White Wizzard can have such instability and still crank out a great effort like Flying Tigers. Kudos to Jon Leon.

6.)Alice Cooper-Welcome 2 My Nightmare (Bigger Picture)

The second installment of the nightmare showcases Cooper’s dark, brilliant, clever sense of humor; it’s on par with the original nightmare.

7.)Vicious Rumors-Razorback Killers (SPV)

(guitarist) Geoff Thorpe enlisted Brian Allen to take over as vocalist slot vacated by James Rivera who left to join the reunited Malice. Ironically, Allen at one time sang for Malice. Razorback Killers can be put up next to Priest’s Painkiller album—it’s that good.

8.)Hell-Human Remains (Nuclear Blast Records)

When was the last time a band released their debut album 28 years after the release of their EP? I can’t think of any aside from Hell; their album Human Remains is a throwback to the NWOBHM sound which they helped shape. In addition they got producer/guitarist Andy Sneap to join their ranks.

9.)Ghost-Opus Eponymous (Metal Blade Records)

Mercyful Fate meets The Blue Oyster Cult=one hell of a whimsical band.

10.)Black Country Communion-2 (J&R Adventures)

The ageless wonder Glenn Hughes shines again on the band’s sophomore album.

11.)Steel Panther –Balls Out (Universal Music)

Balls Out is such a well-executed, well written album that I forgot that they’re a novelty act!

13.)Symphony X-Iconoclast (Nuclear Blast Records)

Four years ago the average metal fan didn’t know who Symphony X was. As a result of back to back stellar albums they are now gaining ground on the might Dream Theater with prog- metal geeks.

14.)King Kobra-self-titled (Frontiers Records)

”You wanted 80’s you got 80’s” said Carmine Appice in an interview I conducted with him to promote the album. I can’t argue with that statement.

15.)Arch Enemy-Khaos Legions (Century Media)

10 years in Angela Gossow still destroys most of her contemporaries.

16.)Nazareth-Big Dogs (Eagle Rock Entertainment)

This was a total surprise for me in 2011. I would have never guessed that these geezers had a respectable album in them this late in the game; Nazareth delivered in spades.

17.)Headcat-Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk (Niji Entertainment)

The sophomore album is sonic improvement, the songs are in the tradition of the debut and its a great change of pace from having your face ripped off your skull by metal.

18.)Hank III-Ghost To A Ghost/Gutter Town (Megaforce Records)

After a couple of mixed bag albums Hank III returned with four albums in 2011. Ghost to a Ghost/Gutter Town is a double album that is his strongest effort since Straight to Hell.

19.)Mr. Big-What If (Frontiers Records)

In short if you loved the self-titled album and Lean Into It you need this album in your collection.

20.)Firewolfe-self-titled (independent release)

If you’re into old-school metal in the tradition of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest then you must get this album.

Honerable mentions:

Motorhead-The World is Yours (Motorhead Music)

This album is worth owning for the songs “Bye, Bye Bitch, Bye, Bye,” and “Get Back in Line” alone.

Megadeth-Th1rt3en (Roadrunner Records)

Megadave returns with a new album with Dave Ellefson once again riding shotgun. It’s like old times.

Worth checking out-
Live/compilations/EP’s:
Slash-Made In Stoke 24/7 (LIVE) (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
Rush-Time Machine 2011: Live in Cleveland (Roadrunner Records)
Iced Earth-Festivals of the Wicked (LIVE)(Century Media)
Adrenaline Mob-self-titled EP (independent release)
The Last Vegas-The Other Side EP (Century Media)
Stryper-The Covering (Big 3 Records)

White Wizzard-Flying Tigers

2011-12-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

Earache Records 2011

At the tail end of the year White Wizzard unleashed one of the best efforts of 2011. Who would have thought that band that is as dysfunctional as White Wizzard followed up the fantastic Over the Top with a stronger effort.

Since the release of 2010’s Over the Top founding member Jon Leon has seen several changes in the line-up. Returning on the new album Flying Tigers are; drummer Giovani Durst, singer Wyatt “The Screamin’ Demon” Anderson and Jon Leon on bass and guitar. Unfortunately since the completion of the album Anderson has been replaced by Michael Gremio (who does not appear anywhere on the new album). The revolving door continues.

If you’re familiar with White Wizzard you know that they are cut from the same cloth as the greats from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. If you’re into grinding riffs, big thick galloping bass lines you’ll surely get a rise out of Flying Tigers. Wyatt “The Screamin’ Demon” Anderson put on a memorable and ferocious performance on Flying Tigers which leaves huge shoes to fill for current singer Michael Gremio. The saying you’ve got your work cut out for you seems fitting here. The first half of the album is a traditional metal album with songs that feature unrelated topics and themes. The second half of the album is a concept album conceived by leader Jon Leon. The last six tracks make up an ambitious, progressive suite with interlinking songs with supernatural and celestial themes. Leon raised the bar with the opening track of the concept with “Fall of Atlantis.” The driving bass line, hook and chorus on the song will have the haters doing an about face. The lyrical content is unsurpassed. I’m partial to the tracks “Flying Tigers,” “West L.A. Nights,” “Night Stalker,” and “Night Train to Tokyo” which are not part of the concept portion of the album. Having witnessed White Wizzard live a twice this year with Michael Gremio on vocals; I’ve got to say that he is spot on vocally to Anderson’s performance. Don’t be surprised if this album sneaks up and snatches a spot in metal aficionados’ top 10 lists of 2011. It’s that good. Now if only Jon Leon would get a stable line-up.

Interview with singer/guitarist Laura Wilde

2011-12-06T15:18:00.000-08:00

Photo by Daniel Siboni

Laura Wilde is a 21 year old singer/guitarist hailing from Melbourne, Australia with supermodel looks who recently relocated to the United States. She landed right smack in the rock ‘n’ roll capitol of North America—Los Angeles, California. Laura’s influences range from traditional hard rock, to punk rock to glam rock. Laura Wilde has been compared to Suzie Quatro and Joan Jett and truth be told her music fits right in between the music of the aforementioned.

Wilde recorded her debut record in Los Angeles in the summer of 2011 and she is on the verge of unleashing Sold My Soul on the world. The album is a fun, melodic, rebellious; rock ‘n’ roll effort that will take you away from all of your worries if not for 30 minutes. I caught up with Laura while she was doing press for the album for a short interview. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it.

You’re originally from Melbourne, Australia at this time you’re in L.A. How long have you been in the United States?

A little over a year. I think 13-14 months.

You play guitar and you’re a singer. Which did you pick up first?

I started playing guitar first. I started around the age of 12. I started broadway singing when I was about 14—don’t ask me how or why! (laughs) I started studying opera when I was 16—I guess singing and playing guitar went hand in hand for me. I also know how to play bass, piano and drums.

I know you play guitar and sing on your album but are you also play some of the other instruments on the record? Lenny Kravitz does a lot of this on his albums.

Yeah I played all of the bass and I drummed on a few tracks as well. My experience playing in other bands in the past has brought various different influences into my style and it keeps it fresh and new. I try to learning something new from everybody.

On the teaser clip for the “Sold My Soul” you’re playing a Gibson Flying V is that your instrument of choice?

The Flying V is my weapon of choice. It’s funny you should mention Lenny Kravitz because I was watching his “Are You Gonna Go My Way” music video when I was three years old. I saw him playing that awesome Gibson Flying V in that cool outfit—it was all over from there. I actually have someone that made me my own custom W guitar it’s kind of like a Flying V; it’s a W rather than a V. It’s very cool and it’s got vintage ’57 original pick-ups. It’s a wailer! (laughs).

Sold My Soul showcases the various different subgenres; hard rock, modern rock, punk rock and glamrock. Who are some of the artists that have influenced you and shaped you as a musician?

When I was growing up some of the bands that influenced me were bands like; Green Day, The Foo Fighters and Nirvana. As I got older I started looking at who their influences were and I started listening to 60’s and 70’s rock ‘n’ roll. I also got into bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and then I got into glam bands like Slade, T. Rex and Gary Glitter. I also love Led Zeppelin; Jimmy Page is one of my favorite guitarists. Along with Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix and Slash are my three main guitar influences.

What about vocalists?

I love Wendy James from Transvision Vamp and I also love Joan Jett, Suzie Quatro and Shirley Manson from Garbage.

It’s funny you should mention Joan Jett and Suzie Quatro because Sold My Soul fits in with the music of The Runaways and with Suzie Quatro. I think you’ve heard that before how do you take that?

I take that as a huge compliment to be compared to those girls. I would never sneer at that comment! (laughs)

Obviously the girl guitar driven rock is a given but Sold My Soul is a fun melodic record.

I had a lot of fun making it and a lot of fun writing it. I’m glad that came through when you heard it.

Since relocating to L.A. you’ve been gigging in and around the L.A. area. What kind of feedback have you been getting from people that have seen the live show?

I’ve been through a few bands since getting here; it’s take a bit to find this band but I’m finally happy with everyone in the band. We gel on stage, we have great chemistry. It’s like finding three husbands! (laughs) People have pointed out that we work very well together as a band. We’ve been getting great feedback on the live show.

You performed at SXSW in March of this year. What was that experience like and how did you get booked for that event?

I’ll be honest with you that was probably the most fun that I’ve ever had in my life at this point. Being in the presnece of crazy, awesome musicians and industry people all in one city was fantastic. I got hooked up with SXSW by Danny B. Harvey who is the guitarist for Headcat. He’s a good friend of mine and he took us out and showed us around town. Danny gave us the authentic Austin (Texas) experience along with the SXSW craziness. Danny’s very nurturing to up and coming artists and has been very helpful.

Your album Sold My Soul was originally slated for release in the summer of 2011 but from what I’ve been hearing it’s been pushed back to early 2012. What happened?

Yeah, the band kept changing and things kept happening but now it’s set in stone the album will be released on the 31st of January of 2012. If it doesn’t come out then—heads will roll! (laughs) Fresh year fresh start; we’ll also be doing a lot of shows around that time. I’m doing a guest spot at South Point (Hotel & Casino) in Vegas on New Year’s Eve--that should be fun.

How far back does the material that we’ll hear on Sold My Soul go? Is it fairly recent?

The most recent song is “Sold My Soul.” We recorded that in July of this year (2011) and the song that is the oldest is “All Alone” which dates back to April of 2008; that one has been hanging around for a while.

Out of all the songs that made the album which track came together the quickest?

I’d have to say that there were two; it was “Anything Goes” and “Sold My Soul.” “Sold My Soul” was recorded within a couple of hours.

What song took a while to flesh out and gave you fits?

I think the song that took the longest was “For You.” It was the first time that I had ever collaborated with someone. I was very unsure of the whole process, we kept missing each other. We finally found time to sit down and write the song together—that took a while. I really don’t think songs should take that long to write! (laughs) If it’s natural and flowing you’ll hear that in the song.

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy -Made in Stoke 24/7/11 (CD & DVD)

2011-11-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

Slash states in the liner of his live album Made in Stoke 24/7/11 that he always wanted to play Stoke; the place where he grew up. Slash’s dream came true when he was lining up dates to promote his solo album simply entitled Slash.

The set featured in the live double CD , DVD and Blu-Ray packages is inflated compared to the set the band performed on tour. What’s the reason behind this?! Slash wanted to pull out all the stops for this very special occasion. Along for the ride are; singer Myles Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns, drummer Brent Fitz and guitarist Bobby Schneck. The band is tight and the fact that they were filming and recording this particular performance gave the band and fearless leader Slash an extra boost. The band played a blistering, sleazy, gritty- virtually flawless execution of Snakepit, Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver classics and favorites from the solo album. Slash plays with a swagger, urgency and reckless abandon; not seen since the Appetite for Destruction tour. Slash is clearly having a blast with his current band mates and caught his second wind.

Myles Kennedy is was best known for his work in alternative rock band Alter Bridge before enlisting to work on Slash’s album. Kennedy gives Axl Rose in his prime a run for his money-- vocally, stylistically and visually. Kennedy handles Slash’s back catalog effortlessly and tackles the Guns N’ Roses repertoire with respect and class. It’s hard to imagine any other singer fronting this band; which is why Slash & Co are currently locked up in the studio working on material for a new album. Among the highlights from this 21 song assault are; “Been There Lately,” “Night Train,” “Ghost,” “Back from Cali,” “Civil War,” “Starlight,” and “Slither.” Essentially Made in Stoke 24/7/11 is a greatest hits “live” album that will tide over fans until the next studio album. Made in Stoke 24/7/11 will give those that missed Slash & Co on tour this year a taste of what they missed.

Deep Purple w/Orchestra –Live at Montreux 2011 (CD & DVD)

2011-11-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

Deep Purple have been regular participants at The Montreux Jazz Festival going as back as their 1972 release Machine Head. Ironically Purple recorded a live album in Montruex in 1969 at a casino; the very casino that would inspire their signature song “Smoke on the Water” two years later. As stated, Machine Head was recorded in Montreux, Switzerland in December of 1971; so began the band’s long relationship with the city of Montreux.

In 2006 Deep Purple released a double live CD and a DVD compilation of performances from Their Montreux Jazz Festival appearances in 1996 and 2000 respectively. Fast forward to 2011 when Deep Purple returned to Montreux to the prestigious event minus keyboardist Jon Lord who retired from the band in 2001. Taking over for Lord is none other than Don Airey (E.L.O., Rainbow,Whitesnake), who has a rich history in rock ‘n’ roll. The addition of Airey makes guitarist Steve Morse (formerly of the Dixie Dregs) a senior member after he took over for the recluse guitarist Ritchie Blackmore in 1994.

For their appearance at Montreux in 2011 Deep Purple added a twist to their set ; they added the Neue Philharmonie from Frankfurt. Purple are no strangers to playing alongside a symphony --they’ve done it before. They played a series of shows in the late 60’s with a symphony and in 1999 they played a series of shows at Royal Albert Hall that spawned a live album released in 2000. Deep Purple are pioneers in combining hard driving rock ‘n’ roll with a symphony; others have tried to replicate but have failed. Recent heavy hitters that have tried; the Scorpions and KISS’ whose efforts were disastrous, and Metallica’s effort was so-so at best.

The set for this performance leaned heavily on the classic back catalog ; all the hits are included among recent cuts from the Morse era. If you close your eyes the band doesn’t sound like they’ve lost a thing, Airey and Morse are respectful to the classic material. Morse is given the green light to improvise and adds his own southern jazz-fusion vibe to solos and jams without straying too far from the path Blackmore blazed. The weak link in Purple in 2011 sadly is singer Ian Gillan who at one time had one of the most coveted vocal in rock ‘n’ roll. Time has taken its toll. Gillan struggles right out of the blocks; the show opened with “Highway Star” he couldn’t hit the hit the high notes. Based on facial expression on “Space Truckin’” he was trying but his vocal chords were having none of it. Gillian fought throughout the set to break through the wall of sound created by his band mates and the orchestra at times getting lost in the mix. Classics like “Woman from Tokyo,” “Knocking on Your Back Door,” “Hush,” Black Night” and “Perfect Strangers” benefitted greatly from the symphonic treatment. In the end Live at Montreux is for the die-hard fans or completists who need this CD and this DVD in their collections. This release might also find a cross-over audience as Metallica found with S&M with the classical aficionados.

Voodoo Six-Falling Knives (E.P.)

2011-11-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

Indepedent Release 2011

Voodoo Six are a British hard rockin’ quartet who just released a digital limited edition E.P. to coincide with their fall tour of the United Kingdom. Voodoo Six have been compared to the Irish band The Answer; which in this writer’s opinion is a disservice to Voodoo Six. You see Voodoo Six is much more than a classic rock, blues based band; they incorporate contemporary heavy rock and heavy metal elements in their music. The songs are loaded with flowing, booming basslines along the lines of Audioslave and the abbrasive, grinding guitar in the tradition of Black label Society.

A prime example of Voodoo Six’s ability to merge the old school with the new school is the opening track, title track and first single “Falling Knives.” Not only is it a blues based rock song, but it’s dirty, gritty hard rock that will appeal to metal and rock fans alike. It also doesn't hurt to have a powerful, soulful vocal that brings the song to life. The chorus could have been lifted from a Nickleback song; imagine if Chad Kroeger wrote songs that were heavy hitting. Hot on the heels of “Falling Knives” is the rocker “Stop” which is a well written, passionate song with a killer hook that puts a stranglehold on you. To my surprise, Voodoo Six have a vast back catalog which I must now have to track down and delve into. Voodoo Six could very well be the U.K.’s best kept secret—at least to us in North America.

Iced Earth -Dystopia

2011-10-29T11:38:00.001-07:00

Century Media 2011

A lot has been going on the Iced Earth front since 2004; for starters Jon Schaffer brought former Judas Priest front man Tim “Ripper” Owens on broad to fill the void left by singer Matt Barlow when he left for a career in law enforcement. Iced Earth released their most critically acclaimed epic album 2004’s The Glorious Burden. The Owens/Schaffer team would go on to release another studio album 2007’s Framing Armageddon. The album was a continuation of the storyline first heard on 1998’s Something Wicked this Way Comes. The partnership went sour as the band resumed recording of the follow up 2008’s The Crucible of Man; exit Owens and enter Matt Barlow. In between singer changes Iced Earth had complete overhaul in line-up. This has been typical of Iced Earth with the mainstay being founder and main songwriter Jon Schaffer.

In 2010 Schaffer announced that once again Matt Barlow would be leaving the band. Schaffer found himself on the hunt for a new vocalist. Schaffer found a replacement in Canadian Stu Block who sang for the modern power metal act Into Eternity. The band released two albums but failed to break. The fans were skeptical of another change in vocalist; if this didn’t work it would clearly mean the end of the band. Jon Schaffer and Stu Block had their work cut out for them. At the tail end of summer of 2011 Iced Earth issued a (free) download of the re-recorded classic “Dante’s Inferno” as a teaser to the critics and fans alike. Block handled the classic with respect and added his own style to this spectacular rendition.

Jon Schaffer returned to Century Media after a bitter split from the label about a decade ago. The new album is entitled Dystopia and features 10 tracks (the deluxe edition features three additional tracks) that are true to the Iced Earth legacy and sound. One thing that you can’t help but notice is the new found energy and vigor that Iced Earth showcases on these new tracks. From the opener “Dystopia” to the closing “Tragedy and Triumph” the duo of Schaffer and Block deliver a collective back hand to the nay-sayers. Dystopia is one of the band’s strongest efforts of the past decade; the rhythm section of drummer Brent Smedley and Freddie Viadles are skintight unit. Guitarist Troy Steele compliments Jon Schaffer’s whimsical riffs with his scorching leads. The songwriting on this album is superb and is brought to life by Stu Block’s vocals. Block is an equal balance of soaring style of Tim “Ripper” Owens and the power metal muscle of Matt Barlow with a touch of contemporary metal gruff.

Dystopia will get you excited about Ice Earth’s return; Block’s arrival has injected new life into the band. Jon Schaffer harmonizes brilliantly throughout the album with Block and adds a new dimension the music. The highlights on the Dystopia are; “Dystopia” a boundless melodic track with abundant riffing, “Anthem” an epic track with a memorable chorus and a classic Iced Earth vibe to it, “Anguish of Youth” a ballad that could very well be the band’s most accessible track to date and the hard hitting “V” a track inspired by the film V for Vendetta. As a whole Dystopia is a return to form for Iced Earth and a strong contender for metal album of the year.

The Elves-And Before Elf There Were Elves

2011-10-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Niji Entertainment 2011

Since Ronnie James Dio’s passing all sorts of Dio related recordings have been coming out of the wood work. To be honest none of it has been sub par; better music than let’s say Dio numbered baseballs, which by the way do in fact exist.

Dio’s band The Elves ultimately evolved into the band Elf. They played blues inspired rock ‘n’ roll not what one would associate the great Ronnie James Dio with but it worked. You have to remember that it was with this band that Ronnie was discovered by Deep Purple and who brought them on tour. Later, as you know Ritchie Blackmore split with Purple and recruited Dio for his band Rainbow.

And Before Elf There Were Elves features original cuts alongside with some covers. The album is comprised of live tracks taken from the circulated bootleg entitled Live at the Bank. The Elves showcased their ability to play good bluesy, honky tonk, rock ‘n’ roll. You can clearly hear the potential that this band had even in their early incarnation. Some of the highlights include; their take on the Willie Dixon blues classic “You Shook Me,” the Rod Stweart and Ronnie Wood penned “Stay With Me,” and their take on Graham Nash classic “Simple Man” is nothing short of amazing. The original material is strong as evidence by the stellar “Drown Me In the River,” and “Driftin.” The aforementioned both show off the powerful, soulful vocal of a man short in stature with the heart and lungs of a lion.

Don’t write off And Before Elf There Were Elves as Niji Entertainment trying to make a quick buck or as mere impulse buy of previously unreleased substandard material-it’s not. And Before Elf There Were Elves is worthy of having in your collection alongside your favorite Rainbow, Dio, and Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell albums.

https://www.facebook.com/nijientertainmentgroup

Michael Schenker- Temple Of Rock

2011-09-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

Inakustik 2011

Michael Schenker’s move to enlist a collection of his musician friends write and record a solo album after releasing a great studio album with Gary Barden with In The Midst of Beauty in 2008, following it up with the acoustic Gipsy Lady in 2009 and a live DVD in 2010 is baffling. One would think that it would be best to strike while the iron is hot and by releasing what in essence is a solo effort seems to break any momentum that he has gained thus far.

The new album is entitled Temple Of Rock and it’s produced by the singer of this project Michael Voss. Yes, the title is very cliché and unimaginative but it’s the music that counts. I for one didn’t much care for the title Tales Of Rock ‘N’ Roll either. As mentioned there is no Gray Barden in sight but there are guests galore; making appearances drummers Carmine Appice, Herman Rarebell, Brian Tichy, Simon Phillips,Chris Slade, bassists Pete Way, Neil Murray, guitarists Wayne Findlay, Rudolf Schenker,Michael Amott, Leslie West, singers Robin McAuley, Doogie White and keyboardist Paul Raymond. This album is loaded with talent; the question is how this measures up musically. As we know from the various Deadline and Cleopatra compilations that exist big names doesn’t always translate into great albums.

Though not MSG material Schenker’s riffs are still there even on filler tracks like “How Long” and “Fallen Angel” the weakest lyrically on the album; the playing by Schenker is great. “How Long” is revisited again in form of 3 Generations Guitar Battle version with the Mad Axeman joined by Leslie West (Mountain) and Michael Amott (Arch Enemy). The odd trio duke it out with great results; however the second version would have benefited greatly if left as an instrumental. The standouts on the album are; “Miss Claustrophobia” one of the better vocal tracks from Michael Voss, big chorus and hook, “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” features Doogie White on vocals it’s very memorable track, and “Lover’s Sinfony” features former MSG singer Robin McAuley. The track is incredible despite the title. The pairing still would work and these guys have unfinished business after the poor effort on their last studio album in the early 90’s MSG. “Storming In” is a classic Schenker track complete with wailing guitars and power riffing that’s complimented by a killer performance by Michael Voss. Is Temple Of Rock essential? No, it’s recommended for the die hards or completists-but it does have it’s moments.

Roger Glover & The Guilty Party-If Life Was Easy

2011-09-15T10:19:00.001-07:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

After several years in the making 'If Life Was Easy' the fifth solo album by Deep Purple's bass player Roger Glover has seen the light of day. 'If Life Was Easy' was recorded in 2007 however a series of personal issues among them the loss of his mother, a divorce, and becoming a grandfather just to name a few; delayed this album’s release. Like predecessor 2002’s ‘Snapshot’ this album features The Guilty Party which includes; Randall Bramblett and Gillian Glover. There are guest appearances are from Nazareth's Dan McCafferty and Pete Agnew as well as Deep Purple band mate Don Airey, Walther Galley and Sahaj Ticotin. Roger Glover himself referred to this album of songs as a “hodgepodge collection of songs.” These songs helped document in song the turmoil, changes and new experiences that he was having in his life. Glover wasn’t kidding as each track is very different from the next. 'If Life Was Easy' could turn off fans that aren’t familiar with Glover’s solo work. If you’re expecting a rip roaring rocker of an album-you’d be sadly mistaken. 'If Life Was Easy' like his previous solo work allows Glover to expand on his musical ability and pallet. He’s far from a great vocalist but he can carry a tune. One thing that plagues 'If Life Was Easy' is the fact that there is way too much music. There are 16 cuts on the album and there is a lot of filler found within; which makes this for a ‘painstaking’ listening experience for the listener at times. I would only recommend 'If Life Was Easy' to the Glover/Purple completist or people who are familiar with his previous solo efforts. Otherwise I feel you’ll truly be disappointed.

Alice Cooper-Welcome 2 My Nightmare

2011-09-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Universal Music 2011

On his last outing ‘Along Came A Spider’ issued his most consistent album in decades; the storyline might have been a tad too serious. Alice is at his best when the lyrical content is fun, loose, with a touch of his trademark sadistic humor. On ‘Along Came A Spider’ Alice began to right the ship which had become inconsistent after his late 80’s pop metal hangover that plagued albums leading up to that point.

When Alice Cooper set out to record a sequel to a highly successful, classic album; ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ he wanted it to be up to snuff. So on ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ Alice made a number of strategic and brilliant moves; for starters he brought back producer Bob Ezrin to man the controls like he did on the original. Next he brought in the surviving members of the Alice Cooper band who were recently inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Also featured on the original and making a return the new nightmare are Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner.

‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ is a return to form for Cooper with hit after hit that range from the classic era of ‘the band,’ to Alice’s top notch solo work to the shinning moments that have taken place since ‘78’s ‘From The Inside.’ The standout tracks on ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ are; “A Runaway Train,’ a country inspired rocker that chugs along complete with blistering twang guitar solo by Vince Gill, “Caffeine” with it’s silly intensely catchy chorus, “Last Man On Earth” showcases Alice’s dazzling homage to vaudeville by way of Tom Waits, the nod to The Rolling Stones on “I’ll Bite Your Face Off,” "Something To Remember Me By" is among one of his best ballads ever, and the poppy “What Baby Wants” where Alice trades lines with Ke$ha. As a fan of the classic Alice Cooper era the reunion of Ezrin and Cooper is very special. ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ is proof that the nightmare is truly back. Bob Ezrin is to Alice Cooper what Jim Steinman is to Meatloaf and hopefully they continue working together on a few more albums.

Anthrax-Worship Music

2011-09-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

Megaforce Records 2011

It’s been eight long years since Anthrax issued new music. A lot has changed since then; John Bush left then returned briefly to bail the band out after they ousted Dan Nelson who replaced Bush. Lead guitarist Dan Spitz has come and gone only to be replaced once again by Rob Caggiano, Joey Vera left the bass slot open for Frank Bello’s return and most importantly Anthrax reunited for the third time with who most fans consider ‘the voice’ of the band Joey Belladona. This is great news to old school and longtime fans but it didn’t work before so there are still skeptics that think this isn’t long-term. I’d like to point out that this line-up has been in place for a mere one year thus far. The last time they reunited with Belladona it was three years before things went sour. I can see why people are skeptical.

Anthrax’s ‘Worship Music’ is one of the most highly anticipated albums that I can recall in a while. The fact that Anthrax was able to salvage some of the music from the Nelson era, improve on it and bring Belladona into the studio and they didn’t implode is nothing short of miraculous. Anthrax themselves raised the expectations in interviews when speaking of the music they were recording or had recorded; describing it as “The best thing Anthrax has done ever.” Most bands say this but rarely is it the case when you throw the disc into your stereo. Musicians are notorious for this.

’Worship Music’ sonically is on par with the huge sound that Bob Rock got for Metallica. Engineer Jay Ruston is responsible for helping Rob Caggiano and Anthrax who co-produced in getting this booming sound. Do not panic however; Anthrax retains their thrash metal roots as you’ll hear in the meanest and heaviest riffs that they’ve come up with in a while. Case in point “The Devil You Know,” the song kicks off with the main and pummeling riff accompanied with double bass part; which repeats itself throughout the track in true thrash metal form. The track ends exactly way that it started with the kick drum and riff though by the end it’s been done ad nauseam. The single “Fight ‘Em Till You Can’t” is another track that showcases that Anthrax can still come up with strong melodic thrash songs in 2011. Joey Belladona retains the sense of urgency that was heard on classics like ‘Among The Living’ and ‘Spreading The Disease’ on this album. The best example of this is heard on the ‘epic’ “In The End” which is rivals classic metal blockbusters that came before it; like “Heaven And Hell,” “Stargazer,” or “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” The last time that I had the hair on the back of my head stand on end was when I heard “The Gettysburg Trilogy” from Iced Earth in 2004.

The album closes on a flat note with the filler tracks of the album. It’s a trilogy of fluff. After the spectacular “Judas Priest” we are treated to less than stellar material starting with “The Crawl” which sounds like carry over from their last album ‘We’ve Come For You All.’ It’s melodic hard rock and an attempt at peaking the interest of contemporary radio. “The Constant” has a very cool riff but nothing more as the song is quite forgettable. The closing track “Revolution Screams” is similar to “The Constant” great riff opens the song but all roads lead nowhere.

I’m fully aware that people who have heard ‘Worship Music’ have been calling it this year’s ‘Blood Of Nations.’ With three filler tracks ‘Worship Music’ is far from perfection but it’s certainly a surprisingly great effort. I would be very impressed if they comeback even stronger with the next record-that is if this doesn’t implode again.

‘25 Years In Rock’ Q/A: with ‘Metal Queen’ Doro Pesch

2011-08-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

When I last caught up with Doro Pesch she had just released her 2009 effort ‘Fear No Evil’ in North America. In my discussion with Doro I learned that after many years she hoped to tour North America extensively. Doro did just that the following year. Doro’s follow up to the ‘Fear No Evil’ album is another high quality, entertaining double DVD set entitled ‘25 Years In Rock.’ As with her previous DVD; 2006‘s ‘20 Years A Warrior Soul’ there is an array of musical guests. This time around there are guest appearances by Overkill's Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, Grave Digger's Chris Boltendahl, ex-Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen, Scorpions' Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker, Liv Kristine (Leaves' Eyes), Floor Jansen (After Forever), guitar virtuoso Axel Rudi Pell and many more. The ‘25 Years In Rock’ DVD will be available in North America via our friends at Nuclear Blast Records on September 13th, 2011. The DVD was of course the basis of our conversation but there was opportunity to sneak in a few additional questions. Enjoy the interview and as always feedback is welcome.

Doro when we last spoke you were excited about the new album ‘Fear No Evil’ and equally as excited about doing a full North American tour.

Right. I love to tour and I really love the United States. I’m exited that I have two dates scheduled in the United States to promote the new DVD in September and expect a full tour in the United States in Spring of next year behind the new album which is currently in the making.

The past North American tour that you spoke of was a such a great time. I try to give the best show possible. I approach each show like it could be my last. I loved meeting the American fans and it didn’t matter the size of the venue the things I heard from them was the same-they had a great time. I love hearing that because it lets me know that I’m doing something right. We tried to do at least a 2 ½ show but that varied depending on whether there was curfew or something. I tried to get all the fans’ favorites into the set-it was an incredible experience. I loved playing new places, new clubs and new cities.

You’ve released a few DVD’s in recent years; there was ‘Classic Diamonds,’which you followed up with ‘20 Years A Warrior Soul.’ You have a new DVD ‘25 Years In Rock.’ What can you tells us about that?

Yeah, each of the DVD’s that you mentioned were very special and with the new one I said to myself “I really have to try to top the past two.” ‘25 Years In Rock’ is a double DVD and a CD of live songs from the concert. There’s bonus footage from Wacken, there’s documentaries, the artwork and packaging is fantastic. I think it turned better that I could have imagined. It looks wonderful, the stage set is one of the best, a lot of pyrotechnics and lights. I think one of the highlights of the performance was when the warlock comes up behind Johnny Dee’s drum set during “The Night of The Warlock.“ You’ll have to see that. It really was one of the best shows I’ve done ever.

There were so many guest on this we had Bobby ‘Blitz’ (Ellsworth) from Overkill, Chris Boltendahl from Grave Digger, Tarja Turunen formerly of Nightwish, as you mentioned Scorpions' Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker, Liv Kristine of Leaves' Eyes, Floor Jansen of After Forever, Axel Rudi Pell, Liv from Sister Sin, Sabina Claussen of Holy Moses, Warrel Dane of Nevermore and many more. Each and every performance on this DVD is a highlight I just can’t pick one in particular.

Scorpions are currently on tour how did you manage to get Klaus and Rudolph to make an appearance on the DVD?

I first met Scorpions in 1986 at the Monsters of Rock festival when Warlock was opening for Scorpions and Ozzy Osbourne. We struck up a friendship and we’ve been friends since. I remember being in school and hearing “Rock You Like A Hurricane.” I didn’t know they were from Germany at that time. So I had them do “Rock You Like A Hurricane” and “Big City Nights” with me that night.

Like you said Scorpions are in the middle of a tour but I called Rudolph and I asked “Would you like to come out and play a few songs for the show?” He said “We’d love to do it but I’ll have to check my tour schedule.” I received a call from him two days later and he says “We’re coming! What would you like to play?” I said “How about two of the songs that I grew up with.” That’s how they made it onto the DVD and how I picked those songs.

There’s a lot of history there.

Yeah, there is. We also had a Warlock reunion like on the last DVD. I also asked Warrel Dane from Nevermore to come to the show. It meant a lot to me that he came because he has the longest flight since he came from Seattle. I met Warrel in 1988 when we first toured America. He was in a band called Sanctuary; we toured with them and Megadeth.

I’m excited about the new DVD but I’m equally as excited about the new music that you mentioned. What can you tells us about that?

I want to do something unexpected on the new album but as always I want to do the songs that are hard, fast and of course great power ballads. I love anthems, in fact I played one of the new songs two weeks ago when I opened Wacken. The song is called “Raise Your Fist” which I wrote with Andreas Bruhn who is the former guitarist from Sisters of Mercy. We have a lot of great songs in the making. The feedback from the audience at Wacken was great. I’m thinking about doing “Raise Your Fist” when I do the shows in Chicago and New York in September. I have another song that is very special to me that will be on the next album entitled “Hero” which is dedicated to Ronnie James Dio. There’s heavy, dark songs on the new album along with beautiful power ballads and anthems that the fans expect. We probably won’t complete the album for 2-3 months an then the goal is to have it released in Spring of 2012. After it’s release I’d love to do a long North American tour.

With bands going out on the road and playing an entire album live is there a particular album that you’d play from your career top to bottom?

Wow.(pauses) That’s hard to say because I’ve recorded 16 albums and I’m working on my 17th…it’s so hard to say. Oh my God, this is probably awful for me to say but if I had to pick it would have to be the ‘Triumph and Agony’ album and also ‘Burning the Witches’ album. These are great head banging albums that are fan favorites. ‘Burning the Witches’ is a fun, old school style album with no commercial influence and ‘Triumph and Agony’ was at the peak of 80’s metal that was our first American hit and tour. We met Metallica when we toured behind the ‘Burning the Witches‘ we were asked to play a gig in Belgium with this new America metal band. The band turned out to be Metallica.

You covered “White Wedding” on the ‘Calling the Wild’ album. Do you know if Billy Idol heard your version and if so what did he think?

I don’t know.(pauses) I had a birthday and a diehard fan from Russia came out to see me for our 2,500th concert. She’s the person that got me the roses that you’ll see in the DVD. She invited me to Moscow, Russia for my birthday so I went there for three days. When I was in the hotel it was one of the best hotels in Moscow. I walked downstairs and there was Billy Idol! (laughs) I hadn’t seen him in a longtime, we did go out briefly to a club but he had other things and he didn’t stay long. So I didn’t get a chance to ask him what he thought of my version.

You did a version years ago of Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” for a power metal tribute album to Led Zeppelin. It later found it’s way onto your E.P. ‘All We Are-The Fight.’ Why did you pick that Led Zeppelin track?

I love that song so much. I remember when I was asked to be a part of that tribute album I said “I want to try it.” We recorded it and when I was hearing it played back I thought it turned out pretty sweet! (laughs) There are a few lines in the song that are directed from a man to a woman- I weaseled my way through. (laughs) When I get approached about doing these kinds of things or when I’m discussing about doing a cover song, I have to like the song. If I don’t like it I don’t feel it. If I don’t feel it I can’t do. I have to like the song and that came easy with “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” because I absolutely love the song.

Doro Pesch’s '25 Years In Rock' DVD will finally be available in North American on September 13, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records. Check out a clip for the DVD while you anxiously await it’s release. Ruben Mosqueda

Rainbow - Live In Germany 1976 (CD)

2011-08-18T20:04:00.001-07:00

Eagle Records 2011

This collection of ‘live’ Rainbow nuggets should not be confused with the previously released Rainbow live album 'Live In Munich ‘77’ from a few years ago. ‘Live In Germany 1976’ was however; previously issued in 1990 in Europe and made it’s way as a U.S. release under a different title ‘Live In Europe.’

Now that we got that sorted out this line-up is undoubtedly the best Rainbow line-up of the band’s storied career. Obviously manning the controls is the amazing yet temperamental Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, the impeccable Ronnie James Dio on vocals, the driving bass of Jimmy Bain, the heavy, pumping organ by Tony Carey and the hammering chops of Cozy Powell of drums-this is an all-star band. Much like the aforementioned ‘Live In Munich ;77’ this is also a double CD collection and is virtually the exact track listing with “Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll’ being replaced on this collection with the spectacular “Stargazer.” With hit after hit that includes “Catch The Rainbow,” “Man On The Silver Mountain,” “Kill The King,” and “Mistreated.” The performances culled from shows in Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Mannheim are top notch. This collection might be a hard sell to the novice Rainbow fan more so if they already own the aforementioned ‘Live In Munich ‘77.’ The chief complaint I have with this set is the fact that this is a straight re-issue there are no bonus cuts and the liners are very thin. This is sad since 2/5 of the line-up are no longer with us. It would have been a great addition to this collection-if Dio and Powell had been honored properly.

Firewolfe-Self-titled

2011-08-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

Firewolfe 2011

When we last caught up with singer David Fefolt he was riding high with the critically acclaimed Angels of Babylon who had recently released their debut album ‘Kingdom of Evil’ in North America. Shortly afterward David announced that he joined the revamped Seattle based power metal act Fifth Angel. Within weeks he announced that he was leaving Angels of Babylon but he promised there would be more music with another band. That band is Firewolfe who released their self-titled debut album in a similar under the radar fashion as Angels of Babylon.

Firewolfe is a traditional or classic melodic metal band. Firewolfe are students of metal as the influences of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Rainbow, Heaven & Hell,and Accept are all well represented. In addition to the powerhouse vocals on David Fefolt the band features the twin guitar assault of Nick Layton and Paul Kleff who are a remarkable team and excel throughout this recording. The duo lay down neoclassical licks, memorable power chords, and hot headed solos. The rhythm section consists of bassist Zach Uidl and hard rock vet Jay Schellen on drums. The choruses are memorable, catchy, repetitive and have this ‘sing-a-long’ type quality to them, no matter how cheesy they might be at times. The hooks compliment the heaviness of the drumming and riffing provided by the band. A couple of examples of this are the songs; “Air Attack,” and “Armed Forces” I had visions of the film ‘Iron Eagle’ part I through III running through my head. Not part IV-that was just too cheesy. If you can get passed these slight lyrical nuisances you will enjoy the songs and the album. “Unholy” is an outstanding track where the chorus sticks around for a tad too long, but doesn’t detract from the overall song.

What good is it if you’re in a power metal band and you don’t have your own ‘epic’song? It’s mandatory that you have one. Firewolfe unleashed “Firewolfe” and it is one of the better tracks on the album, sure to become a fan favorite. It’s like a rhythmic rollercoaster ride and comes to a bombastic climax at the end with some Yngwie inspired shredding. There‘s one song that is lackluster ;“Wicked Words” comes off as rushed, forced; and it simply doesn’t fit the flow of the album. With Firewolfe we find David Fefolt surrounding himself once again with quality players that write and record good music. The question is does this edge out Angels of Babylon’s ‘Kingdom of Evil?’ The answer would be ‘no’ but this got reasonably close. The standout tracks on ‘Firewolfe’ are; “Unholy,” “Back From Hell,” “Firewolfe,” “Air Attack,” and “Armed Forces.”

Twisted Sister - Double Live DVD

2011-07-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

Hot on the heels of the Twisted Sister reissues by Armoury Records; including the stellar debut ‘Under The Blade’ deluxe edition and the classic ‘You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll’-comes ‘Double Live.’

Eagle Rock have raided the Twisted Sister archives with the band’s full cooperation and have unearthed Twisted Sister’s 1982 Northstage Theatre concert. Obviously visually it won’t compare to today’s standards; the footage is of great historic significance as it captures Twisted Sister playing a final club gig in New Jersey before hopping on a plane and heading across the pond to record their debut ’Under The Blade.’ The ‘Northstage’ concerts showcases Dee and the guys primed and ready; they certainly weren’t green by any means. Amongst hits like; “Shoot ‘Em Down,” “Destroyer,” “Under The Blade,” “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll” there are Twisted cuts that the band has since retired.

In the weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks America pulled together to help in anyway possible. New York radio/television personality Eddie Trunk started to put together a fundraising concert to benefit the families if the firefighters and police officers who lost their lives at the World Trade Center. Trunk reached out and he was instrumental in reuniting the band after 14 years (at that time). Twisted Sister came out with out the glam, the make-up, and played a no frills 13 hits set that closed the New York Steel benefit show. Twisted Sister stole the show and rightly so as they played with the angst, urgency of a band slugging it out in the clubs. There’s interview footage that neither makes nor detracts from this collection-the meat of this package is the live footage. ‘Double Live’ is essential to anyone who considers themselves a true 80’s hard rock/metal fan.

In the news: Leslie West's new album loaded with guests

2011-07-06T12:49:00.001-07:00

Legendary guitarist and MOUNTAIN founder Leslie West will release a brand new solo album entitled "Unusual Suspects" in Europe on Monday, September 19 via Provogue Records. The follow-up to 2006's "Blue Me" features West alongside a hand-picked line-up of the finest guitar players alive today including Slash, blues-rock guitar superstar Joe Bonamassa, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman and ex-OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Zakk Wylde, ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons and TOTO's Steve Lukather.

"These guys don't just show up to play on everybody's albums," says West of his special guests and the album's title. "They're all stars in their own right, and fantastic players — everyone with their own sound and style, about as far from ‘the usual suspects' as it gets."

"Unusual Suspects" track listing

01. One More Drink For The Road (ft. Steve Lukather)
02. Mudflap Mama (ft. Slash)
03. To The Moon
04. Standing On A Higher Ground (ft. Billy F. Gibbons)
05. Third Degree (ft. Joe Bonamassa)
06. Legend
07. Nothing's Changed (ft. Zakk Wylde)
08. I Feel Fine
09. Love You Forever
10. You & Me
11. Turn Out The Lights (ft. Slash & Zakk Wylde)
12. Beetle "I Don't Know" (bonus track)

Leslie West has long been a popular personality on "The Howard Stern Show" in America. It was Stern whom he gave an interview in late June 2011, from his hospital bed, mere days after undertaking life-saving surgery which saw his leg amputated above the knee.

On June 17, West (a long-time sufferer of type 2 Diabetes) was aboard a long-haul flight to Mississippi to perform at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, when the limb began to swell. He was rushed to the emergency room and lost consciousness. The decision to proceed with the operation was made by his wife, Jenni, who remarks, "It was his leg or his life."

Such a life-changing ordeal would surely deter other artists, but West is already looking firmly forward, insisting that "Unusual Suspects" release date was not altered because of his condition. "Now I've got to figure out how to play the guitar [while standing] on one leg," he states, under no illusions regarding the size of the task ahead. "The prosthetic ones they have these days are really good, but, of course, I'm used to balancing my weight on two feet. I'm going to have to retrain myself."

Source:Blabbermouth.com

Sleaze Roxx interview with guitarist Danny B. Harvey of Headcat

2011-07-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure to speak with Danny B. Harvey of Headcat about his new album with the band entitled 'Walk The Walk...Talk The Talk.' The interview is featured on Sleaze Roxx, here's a quote from the interview.

"It's funny because we threw out all sorts of names for the band -- Motorcats and HeadCat. Lemmy went out on a six month tour and we hadn't decided on a name. So the record company called us to check on the name that we had decided on and we didn't have one picked."

You can read the inetrview in its entirety by clicking here.

HeadCat :30 from 'stache studios on Vimeo.

Sleaze Roxx interview with guitarist Jack Frost of Seven Witches

2011-07-06T11:26:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure to speak with Jack Frost of Seven Witches about his new album 'Call Upon The Wicked.' The interview is featured on Sleaze Roxx, here's a quote from the interview.

"The bottom line is that this album is everything we've wanted to be and then some. We really wanted to go back to the old school sound. We got a lot of flak on our last two albums by the fans because they sounded a bit too modern. We took three years to write and we wanted to look back at the album and say, "We really put our heart and soul into the album." On past albums we had deadlines -- on this album we wanted to dissect everything from songwriting to production. We wanted to live with these songs for months at a time, that's the big difference on this record."

To read my entire interview with Jack Frost click here.

Symphony X- Iconoclast

2011-07-06T11:19:00.001-07:00

Nuclear Blast Records 2011

It might be a tad too early to declare an album ‘the album of 2011.’ With 'Iconoclast' Symphony X have served notice to their progressive metal contemporaries the message is short and to the point; ‘get out of the way.’ Symphony X have flexed their muscle on 'Iconoclast' and aren’t afraid to knock a few heads around and bloody a few lips in the process.

The theme behind Symphony X’s latest opus is the battle between man and machine; which lends its self for a more extreme sound and additional risk taking. Romeo and company experimented with new sounds on the album one might consider ‘industrial’ but not quite. It is still very much a metal record and too much shredding to be akin to something by either Ministry or Skinny Puppy.

Russell Allen impresses on this album and shows additional growth as a vocalist and continues to build on what we heard on their previous album ‘Paradise Lost.’ Lyrically ‘Iconoclast’ is riddled with a handful of lyrical faux pas that don’t affect your feeling about the album as a whole but certainly have you thinking “surely there was a better choice than that?” I’m referring particularly to the track “Bastards Of The Machine.” The standout tracks are; “Dehumanized” the track representing this album that they broke in on tour prior to the album’s release, “Heretic” features fantastic guitar work by Michael Romeo, “Electric Messiah” showcases Russell Allen’s versatility as a vocalist, and the ballad “When All Is Lost.”

Deep Purple - Phoenix Rising DVD/CD Deluxe Edition

2011-06-28T21:33:00.000-07:00

Eagle Entertainment 2011

If you don’t have a clue who Deep Purple are you should leave this site right now. Anyone who considers him or herself a “classic rock fan” should have Deep Purple records in their collection. This is preaching to the choir I know, but Deep Purple’s influence is heard in the hard rock and heavy metal of today and in rock music the past 30 years for that matter.

People know songs “Smoke on the Water,” “Lazy,” “Highway Star,” Woman from Tokyo,” and “Hush.” All of the aforementioned are Blackmore era cuts, that is what the casual listener is familiar with. So when I heard that there was a DVD release of Deep Purple Mark IV I was thrilled. The Tommy Bolin, Glen Hughes and David Coverdale was loaded with talent and frankly they had their work cut-out for them. Just look at who they replaced; Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover and Ian Gillian-those are huge shoes to fill. They towed the line and did so rather successfully.

Billed as a documentary ‘Phoenix Rising’ is more of an extended interview timeline and a dry one at that. There isn’t a narrator the film features interviews with Glenn Hughes and Jon Lord--that’s it! No David Coverdale to be found, no Ian Paice anywhere! That’s an incredible omission. I really have to hand it to Mr, Glenn Hughes he single handedly saved this DVD from becoming a complete disaster. His ability to tell a story makes all the difference. The documentary is good, informative and insightful; but sadly has a limited audience. In addition there is the inclusion of era live footage which is a treat for Mark IV fans but once again; it’s for die-hard fans only. ‘Phoenix Rising’ gave me better insight into the Jakarta incident and the last days of the great Tommy Bolin. Eagle Entertainment have also issued a deluxe edition that features a bonus CD of live audio from the Mark IV era and a deluxe booklet with additional liners.

Bad Company - Live at Wembley CD & Blu-Ray

2011-06-25T20:03:00.001-07:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

Bad Company has had a storied career, but not without putting their fare share of effort into it. Their musical legacy has become a staple on FM radio. Bad Company has delivered hit after hit throughout the years which includes; “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” “Can’t Get Enough,” “Bad Company,” Ready for Love,” “Shooting Star,” and “Rock and Roll Fantasy.” Though Bad Company pressed forward quite successfully in the late 80’s after original singer Paul Rodgers ventured out on a solo career; fans gravitate toward the Rodgers era. That’s just the way that it is.

Rodgers has been part of supergroup The Firm, he’s been a solo artist, and most recently he joined Queen for a well received tour but a disastrous studio album that followed entitled ‘The Cosmos Rocks.’ So sought after is Paul Rodgers even to this day that Joe Perry was rumored to have been considering Rodgers to replace Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler. And why shouldn’t Rodgers be considered? The man still looks great, he sounds fabulous and he’s a charismatic showman. The fact that he writes good soulful, bluesy songs and plays piano and guitar is an added plus.

Bad Company issued a live album a few years ago live from the House of Blues, so you might ask why they felt the need for another live album and DVD? Well that aforementioned live effort was recorded on U.S. soil Bad Company’s second homeland. 'Live at Wembley' captures Bad Company in bigger stage with bigger production and it’s quite the spectacle. A Bad Company show sells it’s self with a backcatalog that consistently ships units worldwide; 'Live at Wembley' has all the previously mentioned hits and then some. The Blu-Ray features 16 cuts and band interview footage and the CD counterpart features 15 live cuts omitting “Burin’ Sky” only for sake of space. There’s informative liners written by Classic Rock Revisited’s Jeb Wright for those that need to brush up on their Bad Company history. All in all 'Live at Wembley' is an enduring effort.

Sister – Hated

2011-06-23T14:40:00.000-07:00

Metal Blade 2011

Anytime a band’s label throws out names or name drops acts that have paved their way to some level of success it sets the bar relatively high. In fact it might be a disservice to the band that you’re trying to promote or sell to a particular audience. Such is the case with Sister who Metal Blade describes as “sounding like the bastard child of G.G. Allin and Gun N’ Roses.” That’s a stretch. In fact that’s a down right lie.

Sister is a sleaze punk band that is based out of Sweden with an insignificant amount talent, horrifying song writing skills and who some how wound up signed to a major independent label. Go figure. Their gothic punk image is passé, even their selection in stage names is down right lazy let’s go over the list; Jamie, Lestat, Rikki and Cari-see what I mean? In all seriousness what Sister is doing on 'Hated' has been done before by The Murderdolls. I’m not saying that I think the Murderdolls are fantastic beacuse even they stole from Motley Crue, Alice Cooper, KISS, ect; but they showed some improvement on the sophomore album. If you’re into gothic, glammy rock with silly, sleazy, juvenile lyrics buy a Murderdolls album. It’s that simple.

Whitesnake - Live At Donington 1990

2011-06-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

Frontiers Records 2011

Whitesnake has issued several live offerings over the past 5-6 years, from DVD’s to live material in expanded/deluxe packages of the self-titled album and Slip Of The Tongue. In addition their previous studio effort Good To Be Bad featured a bonus live disc of live material. In short the 80’s and 90’s Whitesnake is well represented in live form.

Frontiers has dug into the archives and obtained the rights to Whitesnake’s 1990 appearance at Donington or The Monsters Of Rock; for those that are keeping track the festival has since been renamed Download. Live At Donington captures Whitesnake with python sized hangover of post 80’s excess. Don’t get me wrong the band sounds great, and David’s vocals are a little worse for wear; all in all this is an honest untouched live recording. In fact there are times where Coverdale clearly struggles hitting the high register notes, but lower notes sound strong.

Coverdale upgraded after the departure of Vivian Campbell with Steve Vai. Vai who is flashy, and flamboyant guitarist he was too over the top for even Whitesnake at the time; Vai clearly outshined Adrian Vandenburg. Slip Of The Tongue was a slick album that didn’t have as much of the grit like we heard on Slide It In and that the band still possessed on Whitesnake. The new music was easy on the ears and very radio friendly, but by that time radio was starting to do an about face and turning at the acts that had made radio and MTV what it was in the 80’s.

Live At Donington is a complete cash grab because there is some historical value to this recording. It was Whitesnake a couple of notches below their peak; this was the end of the band as we knew it until a haphazardly put together line-up surfaced in 1994 and toured Europe. However it wasn’t until 2002 that a proper band was put together that gave the 1987 touring line-up a run for their money. All the hits are represented on Live At Donington; a polished versions of “Slide It In,” “Slow An Easy,” followed by “Cryin’ In The Rain,” “Cheap And Nasty,” “Fool For Your Loving,” and the epic “Still Of The Night.” In addition to the audio discs there’s also a accompanying DVD. You can really lose here but if you’ve got any of the aforementioned Whitesnake releases Live At Donington might be a hard sell for the casual fan.

Interview with Udo Dirkschneider former Accept/ current U.D.O. singer

2011-06-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

Anyone who calls himself or herself a true metal fan knows who Udo Dirkschneider. The German man with the powerful gravelly voice was once the front man of Metal icons Accept. His tenure with the Accept brought him worldwide fame notoriety until they went their separate ways in ’88. Udo launched his band U.D.O. and released their debut album Animal House which was penned by Accept. Udo has been releasing U.D.O. albums ever since, but he was reunited with Accept on a couple of occasions in the new millennium. I caught up with Udo for a phone interview as he’s gearing up for some festival appearances across Europe to promote his new album Rev-Raptor.

We spoke about Rev-Raptor of course, his relationship with long-time guitarist Stefan Kauffmann, and U.D.O.’s return to North America. I would have to be out of my mind if I didn’t ask about Accept and his thoughts on their latest album. Enjoy the interview.

On your new album Rev-Raptor you didn’t stray too far away from previous U.D.O. albums. You have a couple strong singles; “Leatherhead,” and “I Give As Well As I Get” which you shot videos for. How would you describe the album?

Well, what can I say-your latest album is always your best one. I think you put everything into your new album that you’ve learned over the years. I have to say that on Rev-Raptor the band is playing great because we’ve had this line-up for several years. I look forward to doing more albums in the future with them. We can’t not sound like U.D.O. as you said it’s our sound.

Stefan Kauffmann was a drummer but switched over to guitar. He was with you in Accept. When did you find out the guy could also play guitar?

Most people do not know this; but he was more into guitar than playing drums. He was more of a guitarist and the drums came second to him, but it’s what he was known for. Stefan stopped playing drums because he injured his back and he switched over to guitar permanently. When we were recording the new album Rev-Raptor we had to stop for about three months because he started having issues with his back. He went to see a specialist and was treated at a hospital and we’re very glad that he’s made a recovery.

Stefan has also proven to be a great producer as he has been working on U.D.O. albums beginning with Faceless World. How valuable is he to U.D.O.?

You I was just talking about guitar being nothing new to him; producing was also very natural for him. He became U.D.O.‘s producer when Accept disbanded after a two week tour for Eat The Heat album. I met with Stefan and he shared some ideas that he had for songs and we started to collaborate on songs. At that time I asked him if he wanted to produce what would become the Faceless World album because it just seemed the natural thing to do. When we were working with Accept he would help when we were doing the vocals. In fact he was responsible for the sound of Accept. People don’t know this but he helped get Wolf Hoffmann’s guitar sound on those albums. Stefan was a lot of help when we were arranging songs. What can I say-he’s a multi-talented.

You reunited with Accept in 2005 then again in 2008. You played some festivals and you were very successful.

Yeah we reunited in 2005 for some festival appearances. I have to point out that there were no plans to do more than these appearances. We did not have plans to record or continue further. There were promoters that wanted us to do this. I was on a break from U.D.O. so at that time I said “okay why not?” It was a lot of fun, but as I said we weren’t going to do anything further.

It was in 2009 that once again I was asked to take part in a reunion. Let me makes this as short as possible. Wolf has been saying in interviews that he was not interested in a reunion, but this is not true. They asked me. I said to them “we have already done a reunion in the 90’s and it did not work out.” My thought was this; if I do this reunion then I have to cut-down U.D.O. and U.D.O. has become quite successful. I said to Wolf “okay when this reunion doesn’t work out I’ll have to continue under the name Accept.” I wanted the rights to the name Wolf didn’t agree to these terms and I said to them “I wish you good luck.”

So it would not have not been possible to do both U.D.O. and Accept?

For me I would rather not have two bands at the same time. I want to be able to concentrate on just one band. I have restarted U.D.O. twice at this point the band has been in existence this time for 14-15 years now. I’ve been together with some of these guys in this band longer than I have been with the guys in Accept! (laughs)

Did your decision have to do with a struggle for control of the name, money or both?

Well money of course, but money isn’t the most important thing in the world to me. I wanted assurance that I could continue under the name Accept if things didn’t work out because I had the most to loose by putting U.D.O. aside. So when they wouldn’t agree to this I said “thank you very much Wolf!” (laughs)

Surely you must have heard Accept’s Blood Of The Nations; what did you think of it?

Yeah, you know-it’s a good album. I expected a good album, of course if they have 15 years to write an album it’s going to be good! (laughs) What can I say. They did a very successful European tour, I wish them luck and we’ll see what the future will be for Accept.

Compiling a set list for a tour must be difficult at this stage in your career. You have the U.D.O. back catalog and then you also have the Accept catalog that you were a part of.

You’re right! This is complete nightmare! (laughs) This is probably the most dangerous part of being a part of this band is putting together a set list; because you just can not please everybody. We have to play the old U.D.O. songs and then we have to put in a couple of classic Accept songs and the of course we’ll have to play a couple of songs from Rev-Raptor. We have the fans voting on our website so they get to help select the set list. There are classic U.D.O. songs and there are songs that we’ve never played live before. For our European festivals the fans have selected four Accept songs and all the classic U.D.O. stuff. For our tour that starts in September we will be playing mostly U.D.O. songs and maybe two Accept songs.

It’s been a while since U.D.O. have played in North America. I imagine you’d like to play here again. Is that something that you’re looking into?

You likely booked with festival appearances in Europe and tours; when could we feasibly see you in the United States?

(laughs) What can I say. The last tour we did of North America was about ten years ago with Saxon. We’ve been trying to get another tour booked in America but we just haven’t had any good offers. We are trying to get the right package and the right offer to make it back to America. Right now our management is in contact with several American promoters about doing something in 2012. We have several European festival appearances this summer then we’ll head over to Russian later in the year. With each album that we released we‘d like to play America but it has to be done right.

A number of your contemporaries are shutting things down or slowing with age. Scorpions have announced their retirement, Iron Maiden is touring sparingly in North America, and Judas Priest said they were done but now they say they are limiting their time on the road. How much longer do you think you’ll be doing this?

What can I say. I would like to do this as long as I’m healthy and the most important thing of all as long as it is still fun. I really don’t know I’d like to do this for another 10 years. I just don’t know. It’s really a lot of fun to be on tour with these guys, what can I say.

Vicious Rumors- Razorback Killers

2011-06-15T14:21:00.001-07:00

SPV USA 2011

The Bay Area is known for it's eclectic music scene however when you think of stuff on the heavier side most immediately think of Metallica or perhaps Testament. Let’s not forget Vicious Rumors who are an extraordinary traditional Power Metal band from that area. Unfortunately Vicious Rumors has seen their fair share of line-up changes; the death of singer Carl Albert after the Word of Mouth album sent the band into a tail spin. It wasn’t until 2006’s Warball that the guitarist/founder Geoff Thorpe began to right the ship. Without question the addition of James Rivera (Helstar, Seven Witches, Malice)on vocals helped tremendously. That album was one of the best efforts of the Vicious Rumors’ career.

This brings us to 2011 where a new Vicious Rumors line-up has released a new album entitled Razorback Killers. If you’re into blistering, high octane metal, with thrash tendencies and death defying vocal pyrotechnics then Razorback Killers is sure to please. The addition of Oregon native Brian Allen (Malice and Last Empire) on vocals has lifted the band from the abyss and brought them back to the caliber that they were in ’06 when Rivera joined. Joining leader/guitarist Geoff Thorpe and vocalist Brian Allen are; guitarist Kiyoshi Morgan, bassist Stephen Goodwin, and long-time drummer Larry Howe.

Vicious Rumors offers up an unmerciful audio thrashing on the listener with Razorback Killers. Vicious Rumors invited a couple of friends to take part in the festivities; Brad Gillis of Night Ranger laid down a hellacious solo on the sadistic, closing track “Deal With The Devil,” and Testament’s Eric Peterson played harmony and lead guitar on the ferocious opener “Murderball.” Other notable tracks are; the aggressive “Razorback Blade,” Allen showcases his versatility on the slow-moving but brutal “Black,” the go for the jugular paced “Bloodstained Sunday” is spine-tingling, and "Let the Garden Burn" has a killer, memorable gang chorus. In short Razorback Killers is on par with Vicious Rumors classics like; Digital Dictator, Vicious Rumors, Welcome to the Ball and most recently Warball. One can only imagine what this band is capable of if the current line-up remains intact. Highly recommended listening.

Seven Witches – Call Upon The Wicked

2011-06-14T15:03:00.000-07:00

FrostByte 2011

After releasing two lack luster Seven Witches albums with singer Alan Tecchio Jack Frost has reunited with Helstar and current Malice singer James Rivera. The bar was raised when these two united on Passage To The Other Side; so much so that even the follow up Year Of The Witch fell slightly short.

Ironically enough it’s been seven years since the release of Year Of The Witch. Seven Witches in 2011 musically, picked up just where the Rivera/Frost union left off. Lyrically however this band has taken one gigantic step backward. Some of the lyrics are bad other are embarrassingly bad. Case in point; “Mind Games” features excellent guitar work, a growling Death Metal power vocal-it’s a great metal song. The lyrics are a deal breaker. With a chorus that goes "stop fucking, stop fucking-with my head!" Really? How James Rivera approved those dreadful lyrics is beyond me. Another example is “Harlot Of Troy” it sounds like a vintage Judas Priest which is right up Rivera’s alley; if it were not again for the unimaginative, bush league lyrics. Jack Frost has been brilliant in selecting covers for previous albums; on Call Upon The Wicked he selected Cream’s “White Room,” it simply doesn’t work as a metal song.

All is not lost however; “End Of Days” saves the day. This track showcases Seven Witches at it’s best, lyrically, musically and Rivera's vocals shine on this one. The female vocal helps add a little extra to this epic track. The title track “Call Upon The Wicked” is another killer cut as is “Ragnarock” which features a Joe Satriani like riff and one of the greatest choruses you've heard by them. This culminates into one of the best tracks this band has ever recorded. In short; Call Upon The Wicked won’t make you forget Passage To The Other Side anytime soon; but it does show that there is gas left in their tank.

ZZ Top-Live In Germany 1980

2011-06-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

Remember when Frank Beard played along with ZZ Top songs and kept proper time? Remember when ZZ Top didn’t use an array of backing tracks live? Do you remember ZZ Top before the Eliminator album? This release will help refreshen your memory. The album is comprised of the audio for the first DVD of their Double Down Live set released in 2009. ZZ Top's performance at Germany’s Rockpalast from 1980 has been widely circulated over the years. At the time ZZ Top were touring behind their fantastic Deguello album. As a ZZ Top enthusiast I have owned this on audio for a number of years; but sadly the version I own has been passed around trading circles for ages. I definitely needed a digital upgrade. This audio recording is incredible. Live In Germany will have you transported back to 1980 when ZZ Top were about to break into the mainstream. This recording showcases the band as an arena rock ‘n’ roll bar blues band, prior to their over the top 80’s excess and their overuse of technology that plagued the following albums throughout that decade. It’s a real treat for fans to have a band sanctioned version of this show that has been digitally remastered.

A live album like Live In Germany sells it’s self with tracks like; “I Thank You,” “Jesus Just Left Chicago,” “Waitin’ for the Bus,” “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Heard it on the X,” and “Tush” performed by the legendary glorified Texas bar band. Sadly there are no liners by the band and though sanctioned there doesn’t appear to be any band involvement whatsoever on this release.

www.zztop.com/

Birch Hill Dam – Colossus

2011-06-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

Independently Released 2011

When you think of heavy groove bands you probably think of places like Southern California or perhaps even the Southern United States; where the sound has thrived. Massachusetts' Birch Hill Dam threw me for a loop when I heard their self-titled album. I absolutely fell in love with this band's music. I stand by the statement I made then that “Birch Hill Dam have monster grooves that will roll you over like that boulder in Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Birch Hill Dam isn’t only punishing, but on the latest effort Colossus the guys have stepped up the melody, the production and the musicianship. The band’s sound hasn’t strayed too far from what we heard on the debut album, there’s a Southern Doom Metal vibe on Colossus. Their sound remains akin to post-1993 era Corrosion of Conformity but more accessible and just as potent. There are plenty of tasty grooves as before and the guitar work is blistering yet exceptional at the same time. Some of the standouts of Colossus are; the title track “Colossus,” “2600,” “Fathoms Below,” and “Ivory Tusk.” On their previous album they tackled the Kyuss classic “Green Machine” with ease. On Colossus they close with a rendition of the Twisted Sister classic “Burn In Hell.” The result is pummeling and would make Dee Snider grin from ear to ear.

Much like on their debut album Birch Hill Dam make good use of their time. Less is so much more; just because you can fit 80 minutes worth of music onto an album- doesn’t mean you have to. Quality over quantity wins each and every time. Birch Hill Dam knocked it out of the park so to speak with Colossus which has proved to be an earth moving monstrosity of epic proportions.

www.facebook.com/pages/Birch-Hill-Dam/99311646442?sk=app_131686150237656

Sleaze Roxx Interview with King Kobra guitarist David Henzerling

2011-06-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

I had an opportunity to catch up with King Kobra's David Henzerling recently for Sleaze Roxx. Check out excerpt from the interview and then click the link below to read the entire thing.

Sleaze Roxx:The readers are pretty familiar with King Kobra through Thrill Of A Lifetime. Let's pick things up around the time of the King Kobra III album because that's where things became a little hazy for the fans.

David Henzerling: King Kobra went through a bunch of changes after Thrill Of A Lifetime. We came right off the road promoting that album in support of KISS and Johnny Rod left to join W.A.S.P. We went and got Lonnie Vincent, who would go on to become the bass player with the BulletBoys. We started doing some demos with Mark Free but his heart wasn't in it -- in fact I don't think he was really into it at all, I think he would have liked to have been in a band that was more like Foreigner. The heavy stuff didn't appeal to him, but ironically I feel that's his best work. Eventually Mark just up and quit, so we got Lonnie's friend Marq Torien. We did a few live appearances with this line-up and we recorded some more demos in hopes of getting another record deal -- but we did not.

Shortly after, Carmine Appice started the Blue Murder thing so we got another drummer. I personally didn't get along with Marq Torien so I later bowed out -- when I left that was the beginning of the BulletBoys. Later on Carmine and I took some of the previous King Kobra demos and got another band together. Carmine knew John Edwards, who was singing for a band called Northrup. Jeff Northup, the guitarist and bass player, came on board and finished the King Kobra album with us and that's the story of King Kobra III.

Sleaze Roxx: That album, despite not receiving the same amount of attention as the previous efforts, did have a number of great songs on it. My favorites on that particular album are "Take It Off", "It's My Life" (which was written by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and previously used on a Wendy O. Williams album), and "Meanstreet Machine."

David Henzerling: I liked that album. I worked on demos with Carmine and we brought in the other guys to complete the album -- I think I played bass and guitars on about half of the album. It was also kind of a mish-mash because Jeff Northrup wrote some songs and I played on his stuff too.

There was a version of "Take It Off" with Mark Free on vocals, which was in demo form when Gene Simmons was going to produce the album for his Simmons Records label -- that obviously fell through. There was a version with Marq Torien on it, in fact the version on the album is the version we recorded with Marq but we took his vocals off and added John Edwards to it. "It's My Life" went on there as a suggestion from Gene Simmons. He had produced the original version of "Take It Off" when we were supposed to be on his label. We were going to be his first signing to his label, but he went off to do another KISS tour and by the time he got back the band had broken up.

Read the entire interview here.

Whocares-Out of My Mind/Holy Water (Enhanced CD single)

2011-06-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Armoury Records 2011

Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan recorded as Black Sabbath in 1983. The released the poorly received Born Again album. They went their separate ways soon there after but in 1989 Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan crossed paths once again; when they were involved in the re-recording Deep Purple’s track "Smoke on The Water.“ The purpose was to raise funds for Leninakan earthquake relief that struck Armenia in 1988. In late 2010 Iommi and Gillan traveled to see how the funds raised were utilized.

Ironically enough they found that the only building that hadn’t been rebuilt in the 20 was a music school. During their travels in Armenia Iommi and Gillan were praised for their efforts. Tony Iommi and Ian Gillan decided to team up once again in an effort to raise funds to help rebuild the very school mentioned earlier. The elected to call themselves Whocares, which sounds appropriately enough.

The result is a single that was first released via iTunes; it will see the light of day as a physical release via Armoury Records on June 21st. The CD features the two tracks recorded “Out of My Mind,” and “Holy Water” along with an enhanced portion that documents Iommi’s and Gillan’s involvement to the Armenian cause.

“Out of My Mind” is a fantastic track. The track could be played alongside classic Deep Purple. You’ll swear it’s an unreleased track or that Richie Blackmore finally snapped out of his renaissance phase and contacted his old mates for one more go-round. It’s that good! In addition to Iommi and Gillan; Jason Newsted is featured on bass, additional guitar was provided by HIM’s Mikko Lindström, Iron Maiden’s Nick McBrain provided drum tracks and rounding out the band is former Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord. The second track “Holy Water” is very good and leaves you wanting to hear more. With Heaven In Hell no more and Black Sabbath in limbo one can only hope that Tony and Ian carve out some more time in the near future to do some more music.

King Kobra-King Kobra

2011-06-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Frontiers Records 2011

With a great debut album in Ready To Strike (a fan favorite), a lackluster, polished follow-up in Thrill Of A Lifetime, and strong King Kobra III where we Carmine Appice and David Michael-Philips tried to right the ship. Unfortunately by that time it was too late the magic was nearly gone. Though that album spawned a couple of radio tracks in “Take It Off.” and “Mean Street Machine.”

Carmine Appice released an album a few years ago under the King Kobra name with only himself as the returning member. The album was entitled Hollywood Trash and while it featured the fantastic Kelly Keeling on vocals it simply wasn’t King Kobra music. The fans spoke-it sold poorly; however it continued to further damage the band’s name.

In 2010 Carmine Appice and David Michael-Philips reconvened to try to get the band back together. They reached out to Marcie Free (once Mark Free) but she declined instead continuing down the AOR path which she forged with Unruly Child. Appice and Philips enlisted the services of former Rough Cutt and Quiet Riot singer Paul Shortino and they went right to work on a new album. Also along for the ride are original members; bassist Johnny Rod and former Bullet Boy guitarist Mick Sweda. The result is a self-titled effort, which is a strong contender for Hard Rock album of the year.

King Kobra kept the music on their self-titled effort true to the era which they originated from. It’s not an 80’s Hard Rock revival album-it’s what King Kobra is all about; great solos, memorable riffs, power drumming and melodic rock vocals. The album is set up brilliantly by the opening “Rock The House,” and “Turn Up The Good Times,” respectively. There are other standouts in “This Is How We Roll,” the magnificent “Midnight Woman,” the power ballad straight out of 1988 “Cryin’ Turns To Rain,” it’s counterpart and accompanying ballad “Fade Away” wraps up the album on a very high note. Shortino’s Soul, Blues and Hard Rock influence shines through on the album as does his contribution in the writing department as evidence by the material found within. David Michael-Philips didn’t cut corners in the guitar department as he shreds throughout the album as does co-guitarist Mick Sweda. If you’re a fan of King Kobra’s Ready To Strike and King Kobra III then you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the new album. They just don’t make albums like this anymore.

Warrant - Rockaholic

2011-06-05T18:25:00.001-07:00

Frontiers Records 2011

Warrant in my opinion lost all credibility (if they ever had any to begin with) when they jumped on the modern rock band wagon with Ultraphobic in 1995 then Belly To Belly a year later in 1996. It was a desperate move sure; even Dokken shifted gears in 1997 with Shadowlife which was an equally as bland of an effort as Warrant’s aforementioned albums. Releasing a half baked collection of re-recorded Warrant tracks in 1999 entilted Greatest & Latest on the mismanaged Deadline Records. They were hardly great. To make matters even worse if that were possible; Jani Lane was shown the door in 2000 and the band already a victim of a revolving line-up; this one really hurt the band. In 2004 Jaime St. James formerly of Black ‘N Blue was brought in to fill Lane’s shoes. Vocally St. James was an upgrade; however musically the union proved to be a mixed bag as did the album that Warrant issued during St. James’ tenure Born Again.

In 2008 after St. James tenure ended the band reunited with the classic Dirty, Rotten, Filthy, Stinking Rich line-up, yes it included Jane Lani. That reunion proved to be short-lived as Jani Lane’s substance related demons surfaced once again and he found himself once again on the outside looking in.

This brings us to the latest Warrant album with their 3rd singer, who is no stranger to Hard Rock fans. Rockaholic the generically titled 8th studio effort features former Lynch Mob and Big Cock singer Robert Mason. We know lightning didn’t strike twice when they brought in St. James but could it strike this time around? Possibly, Rockaholic is a fair effort, much better than Born Again and probably their best effort since Dog Eat Dog, but it’s not a direct hit. There are some fantastic tracks on here; “Sex Ain’t Love,” is a throw back to the classic Warrant sound with a heavy memorable riff, “Innocence Is Gone,” is another great, memorable rocker, as is “Snake.” “Life’s A Song” their first single to radio and video outlets took a few spins to grow on me but it is on par with “Heaven” or “Sometimes She Cries.” The track “The Show Must Go On” is an energetic, hook heavy tracks that was written to be played live. The rest of the album is not as memorable, in fact the track “Cocaine Freight Train” is Born Again dreadful-lyrically. There are signs of life on Rockaholic which is more than I could say about the last five Warrant albums.

David Byrne- Ride, Rise, Roar -Blu-Ray

2011-05-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

Unless you have been hiding under a rock or know little to nothing about the alternative rock genre; you’re aware of David Byrne. Byrne’s impact on alternative rock since the early days of the Talking Heads’ underground club days hasn’t gone unnoticed. Bryne and the Talking Head were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 for their influence on modern rock. While the Talking Heads are currently on hiatus or disbanded depending on who you might ask Byrne has continued to record and tour.

Ride, Rise, Roar captures David Byrne performing series of shows which took place between 2008 and 2009. Byrne’s a charismatic entertainer who in his late 50’s can school even the most seasoned singers, musicians, and songwriters. Ride, Rise, Roar puts a twist on the typical live show as Byrne is joined by a dance troupe, some of it being rather strange but right up Byrne’s alley if you’re familiar with his work.

Ride, Rise, Roar offers up a strong set of songs that flows smoothly. The set includes such notable tracks from his Talking Heads days like; "Once In A Lifetime," “Road To Nowhere,“ "Burning Down The House," as well as some obscure deeper tracks. Ride, Rise, Roar was unleashed on music fans at South by Southwest in 2010 and was adored by those who saw it. Now you can own you own copy of this avant-garde concert film.

Primal Scream -Screamadelica Live -DVD/CD & Blu-Ray

2011-05-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

Glasgow, Scotland’s Primal Scream hit the mother load with their 1991 release Screamadelica. For those that don’t know Primal Sceam was fronted by one time Jesus & Mary Chain drummer Bobby Gillespie. By 1991 the band had been together 9 years and had since relocated to the U.K. Primal Scream were a front runner in the indie pop scene at that time. However it wasn’t until the release of Screamadelica that the band blew up. Not only in the U.K. but worldwide.

As the anniversary of the release of Screamadelica approaches there has been seen it reissued in expanded form. There's a deluxe reissue and there's a collector's edition that is overkill. That's simply way too much for the casual fan of the band to handle, after all it isn’t like they are the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin or The Beatles, right? Only bands of that caliber are worthy of such excess.

Eagle Rock Entertainment have stepped in and have put together a good package that helps commemorate the 20th anniversary of Screamadelica. They have released a DVD/CD combo and a Blu-Ray of the Primal Scream performing their signature album live; entitled Screamadelica Live. This DVD captures Gillespie and Co accompanied by a Gospel choir and horn section that helped bring the Screamadelica tracks to life. With hits like “Loaded,” Come Together,” “Don’t Fight It Feel It,” and “Higher Than The Sun” this DVD is literally loaded with hit after hit. In addition to Screamadelica there’s a bonus Rock and Roll set and there’s a bonus audio of the Screamadelica album performed live. This a a package that will meet the needs of both the casual fan and the Primal Scream aficionado without alienating one group or another.

Interview with King Kobra singer Paul Shortino

2011-05-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

King Kobra circa 2011; Left to right Paul Shortino, David Henzerling, Carmine Appice, Johnny Rodd & Mick Sweda.

Paul Shortino came on the scene with Rough Cutt who was signed to Niji Management operated by Wendy and Ronnie James Dio. Rough Cutt’s self-titled album is an underrated classic. It merged Hard Rock and Heavy Metal brilliantly in one package. Sadly, the band’s follow up Wants You! was a slick, commercial, haphazardly put together mess. The lackluster sales and the band’s frustration with the label lead to Rough Cutt’s implosion. After Rough Cutt’s demise Paul stepped in for Kevin DuBrow in Quiet Riot who had a falling out with Frankie Banali and Carlos Cavazo. Shortino went on to release QR with little fanfare in 1989 from diehard Quiet Riot fans. However throughout the years the QR album has been given new life as fans have been revisiting the album. Fast forward to 2011 where we find Shortino having released a great new album with the reunited King Kobra simply titled King Kobra.

I caught up with Paul a couple of hours before he rejoined Frankie Banali and Sean McNabb for the first time since 1989 on stage. Paul was joining his former band mates to perform a couple of tracks from the QR album in Las Vegas during Quiet Riot’s stop in Sin City. Paul was up beat, laid back and very forthcoming. Truly one of the good guys in the business. I hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I enjoyed conducting it.

Let’s start off with the special event that you’ll take part in this evening. You’ll be reuniting with Frankie Banali in Las Vegas and Sean McNabb will also be taking part.

Yes, absolutely. We’ve jammed together through the years. I love Frankie he’s a great drummer and a great human being. I know why he’s doing this (Quiet Riot) it’s a tribute to Kevin (DuBrow). I’d love to do another record with the guys, there’s unfinished business that we have to do. We made a great record and maybe it should have been called Quiet Riot. Kevin was Quiet Riot. I’m excited about doing some stuff that we recorded 20 some years ago.

I remember going out to buy the QR album. On release date, maybe it shouldn’t have been under the Quiet Riot name but the music stands for it’s self. “Stay With Me Tonight” was a brilliant choice for the lead off track, it was so different from what Frankie and Carlos had done before.

That song was written for the second Rough Cutt album and it didn’t make that album. I brought it into Quiet Riot. Chuck (Wright) had just left the band and he went back to House of Lords, Rudy (Sarzo) was trying to make up his mind as to whether or not he was going to join Whitesnake or stay in Quiet Riot. We tracked the song after Rudy left and I played bass on it. I brought in that song and Frankie gave it a different groove which changed the song completely.

We cut a song written by Russ Ballard during those sessions too. The song was called “The Time Is Gonna Come” that featured Tommy Lee and Frankie doing a drum-off solo in the middle of the song. Unfortunately it didn’t make the record because we went into litigation for about a year. They were thinking about changing the name of the band at one point as a result. Kevin and I were friends so the whole thing was weird. I would be great to do something with these guys again.

It would great to have Carlos (Cavazo) on board too.

Of course, it would have to be the same guys. I’d love to have (keyboardist) Jimmy Waldo who was in Alcatrazz who was part of that album. He did live keyboards and we did preproduction at his studio for about a year. Jimmy and I were under Niji Management, Jimmy was looking for a gig and he did some co-writing with us. He’s a very talented guy.

I remember picking up the Rough Cutt self-titled album based on word of mouth in ’85. That album still stands up to this day, it’s a great balance of Hard Rock and Metal and the songs are great.

I just found this out after Ronnie past away Aneglo (Acuri) live in Las Vegas he was Ronnie soundman. Angelo and Ronnie did the first three Dio albums together. Angelo was telling me at Ronnie’s memorial they were really disappointed that they didn’t produce the first (Rough Cutt) album. We did a lot of work with Ronnie and angel in the studio and Angelo said to me “working with Rough Cutt got us ready to do the Holy Diver album.” I think had Angelo and Ronnie produced the first album it would have been rawer. Ronnie brought us on the Sacred Heart tour and he was carrying the band and really trying to break us.

You mentioned Ronnie James Dio it’s creeping on the anniversary of his death…

It’s unbelievable isn’t it? He was just too young to go. It was shocking in the sense that he went so quickly. It was like 6 months after we learned that he had cancer he was gone. If you think back to a year ago at this time 12 months ago he was in the hospital battling for his life. Ronnie’s spirit will live forever, there’s just so much truth to the things that he spoke about in his songs. He was a deep and humble man. He’s truly missed.

A person like Ronnie James Dio and a voice like his; I don’t think it’s out of line to say that he’s the closest thing we’ve had to Elvis Presley. In fact he might have surpassed him as he battled the disease valiantly till the very end.

Oh absolutely. It’s so amazing that you say that. Carmine (Appice) and the guys went out to see him at the hospital; one of Ronnie’s hands was paralyzed. Carmine said that Ronnie looked up at Wendy and he touched her with his hand, the hand that had been paralyzed and passed away. That was heavy duty, heavy duty. I was going to be head out to see him on the 16th of May unfortunately he passed early that morning.

When my wife and I were coming home from Ronnie’s memorial I said something about Ronnie. Just then my wife says “I think he heard you because there’s a falling star in front of us.” She said “I believe he answered you.”

Getting back to Rough Cutt what was the extent of Ted Templeman’s involvement with the band?

Ted was supposed to produce both of the albums, Ted signed the band. Ted is who we were waiting around for several months. I think if Ted would have produced us Warner Brothers would have known that they had a band called Rough Cutt on the label. Ted Templeman was the executive producer at the label. It’s amazing we’d do an in-store in some towns and there wouldn’t be an albums on the shelves because the local representative was a rock or metal fan. Then we’d play Cleveland and we’d do an in-store and we’d get picked up in a limo and things would be organized. If you’re doing an arena tour supporting a big band and your albums are nowhere to be found in local stores-that’s a problem.

What’s your take on the production by Jack Douglas on Wants You because it’s pretty slick.

The debut album was slower and heavier and the second was more up beat. Wants You should have been heavier but faster than the first record. I wanted Neil Kernon to do the second I was impressed with the Dokken’s Under Lock & Key which he produced. I liked Neil because he was also a songwriter. Rough Cutt needed a guy like him that could see the potential in us. We had met with Neil on a couple of occasions, he came out to see us when we were opening up for Dio. He played us the Dokken album which he had just completed and we loved it. In addition to a songwriter and producer he’s a brilliant engineer. I thought he had a lot of great skills that would have been very beneficial for a band with five creative guys. We all collaborated as a band there were good ideas and bad ideas, we would have really benefited from Neil coming in as an outside party and give us his feedback. I’d like to take best from both the albums and the studio tracks from the live album “Prowler,” and “Peyote” and make the ultimate Rough Cutt album.

The debut album is the fan favorite.

Yeah, it’s my favorite as well. I think that the only song that might be too happy is “The Kids Will Rock.” I like “Rock The USA,” “Hott ‘n’ Heavy,” and “The Night Cries Out (For You)” off of Wants You. The version of “The Night That Cries Out (For You)” has this crazy jazz thing going on but that wasn’t how I envisioned it. I wanted to be more like a “Love Hurts” kind of song. I would like to change the vocal melody for “Don’t Settle For Less” I think it’s a little bit too happy. I like the technology that we have today. I can be in my pajamas working in my studio on songs and fix the things that I don‘t like. Things like that would have been great back when we were working on Wants You.

Getting into your involvement with King Kobra. Did you have any second thoughts about once again getting involved with a band that has it’s own history?

In the case of King Kobra I really wanted to do an album with Carmine. He’s one of my favorite drummers. I remember seeing the guy on The Ed Sullivan show when I was a kid. I’ve worked with Carmine before we did Dragon Attack the Queen tribute album and a couple of other things. Doing King Kobra was going to be my first time really working with Carmine. We’ve become very close friends. We worked on a project with a blues guy by the name of Javier Vargas who has an album coming out in June via Warner Brothers in Spain. We did a video for the Beck, Bogart & Appice track “Lady” be sure to check it out. We also did a new version of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” for the Javier Vargas album. I really hit it off with David Henzerling; between David, Carmine and myself we became a pretty good writing team. Carmine and I are close in age, we are both of Italian decent, so we really bonded and friends and songwriting partners. We’d like nothing more than to take this on the road. We have to be cautious because of the economy, maybe some festival appearances would be our best bet. King Kobra had an underground following they didn’t get to the level of a band like Ratt and bands like that. I think they should have been bigger because they put out some very good stuff. Mark (Free) was a good singer, but I really think I would have hooked up with these guys back then because we made a good marriage. You want proof just listen to this record; this is some of the best stuff that I have ever done. I love the quality of the songs, my voice, the charisma and the magic that we created on this album.

I got a chance to talk with Carmine and I made mention that I really liked how you guys sequenced the album. It has a brilliant flow to it.

Frontiers wanted 80’s, we gave ‘em 80’s. There’s nothing wrong with that because it was a good time period and there was some good music then too. There were a few song ideas that wee brought in from the old King Kobra days but if you listen to the album as a whole you’d never know what was from the era and what was recently written. If you take a listen to the song “Top Of The World” has a little bit of a Foreigner vibe to it. I think “Turn Up The Good Times” is pure 80’s and highlights that time. It was a fun time man.

I’d love to see you guys do some live dates.

Of course. David was saying “it’s too bad that this is Carmine’s band because we could get another drummer and start touring.” (laughs) You see Carmine is at a point in his career that he doesn’t want to play in clubs. I can respect that, but I would play clubs, I know David would play clubs and the rest of the guys would play club. Carmine just wants to get us on some big things so that a lot of people get a chance to see the new King Kobra. Carmine likes to keep himself elevated, he does drum clinics and he tours with other artists. He did a tour recently with Michael Schenker, we’re already slated to tour behind this Javier Vargas album. We’re booked for this in October of this year. The guys that did the video for Vargas for the song “Lady” did the King Kobra video for “Turn Up The Good Times.” The thing will remind you of an old Van Halen video man! (laughs)

Paul have a great show with Quiet Riot tonight and see you soon.

Thank you it’s going to be fun. It’ll be like traveling back in time.

Interview with Blackguard singer Paul "Ablaze" Zinay

2011-05-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

Paul "Ablaze" Zinay (center) & Blackguard

Blackguard are five piece from Montréal, Québec, Canada who play an extreme form of Power Metal. Blackguard refers to their unique sound as Epic Metal. I can’t say that I can argue with that. I recently caught Blackguard when they played in Portland, Oregon opening for Symphony X on May 7th. The played a set that consisted of material off their new album Firefight. They went over very well and won over a lot of people this writer included. A couple of weeks removed from their performance in Portland I caught up with singer Paul “Ablaze” Zinay as he awoke somewhere in route to their next show in Orlando, Florida. Blackguard will be back in Portland playing at Peter's Room on September 13th supporting Kamelot.

I caught you guys opening for Symphony X in Portland…

Oh. Yeah! That was an awesome show man. That show was a lot of fun.

It did appear that you and the band were having a blast on stage. There was a lot of energy and you broke out a set that consisted of new material.

Right, the new stuff has gone over pretty well. I don’t want to say that I’m surprised that it’s been well received…It was on the last tour we did with Deicide that we starter play primarily new material that tour went very well for us. I think this tour has gone even better for us and we’re doing stuff from the new record Firefight. We have people coming up to us after the show buying the album and telling us how they enjoyed the material. That’s very reaffirming to us that we’ve done a great job with the record.

What do you think it is about Firefight that has struck a chord with people?

Man, I don’t know. It could be the music or it could be the stage show. We really like putting on a great performance. While on tour we encounter people who might not be into our kind of music come up to us after the show and say stuff like “we love your energy, you put on a great show.” I think people really respond to the energy of the live show and that helps the music come through.

You guys have coined the style of music that you do you call it Epic Metal.

Correct, we call it Epic Metal. That was the best description we could come up with.

I’d say the best way to describe your sound to the old school Metal fans would be Extreme Power Metal.

Paul “Ablaze” Zinay live- photo by Yaris Summer Pączek

Yeah, I think that would work too. That’s the sound we were going for. It’s Power Metal with a little bit more aggression to it. Okay, a lot more aggression. My first love was Power Metal, I think that applies for the rest of the band too. We wanted to take the energy of Power Metal and combining it with the aggression of Death Metal and using orchestration and merging them together.

Firefight is your third album but this will mark the album is your big coming out record. It’s appropriately titled too as you listen to the record you feel like you’re in a firefight and you’re dodging shrapnel.

Thank you. Like you said we’re not necessarily a new band, but Victory Records is really helping us reach the next level. They’ve been doing wonders for us with publicity and getting in touch with the press and stuff. You’re right when it’s all said and done this will be considered the break out record that will put us on the map.

I give Victory Records credit for branching out a little bit. They've been known for being a Metalcore and Hardcore label but they’ve picked up bands like Sister Sin and now Blackguard that aren’t typical signings.

Right, I noticed over the past couple of years that they have been branching out a bit. I think it’s great it’s worked out well especially for us. I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am to be part of the Victory Records family. I would have never dreamt that I would have been in a band on Victory Records unless I was in a Hardcore band or something. This is really cool because I used to listen to a lot of Hardcore bands on this label when I was younger and now I’m signed to the same label.

Blackguard has been on the road since last fall?

It’s been basically non-stop since September of 2010. September and October we toured with Nevermore and Epica. We we’re on the road in the winter but we used that time to finish up the new album. We then went out on the road shortly thereafter with Deicide, then after that we went to Europe for a few weeks and after Europe we started this tour. After we wind down this tour with Symphony X we’ll head back out with Otep.

I’m curious how did you guys go over with the Deicide audience?

I was shocked just how well we went over on that tour. There were a couple of cities where it was that best shows we’ve ever played. In fact the show we did with Deicide in Portland, Oregon was one of the best shows we’ve played there. We hadn’t done a Death Metal tour since we did Summer Slaughter two years ago I think that the new material is a little bit Death Metal friendly. It’s way more aggressive than the last album so the new material was going over very well with the Death Metal crowd. We were a little bit out of our element on that tour but most of the shows went over great. We had about three bad shows the rest were very energetic and great audience response.

You’ll be on the Otep tour after this tour, there’s not Portland date for that tour but you’ll be back in the fall with Kamelot. I guess Kamelot are still going out on tour despite (singer) Roy Khan quitting the band.

Yeah, that’s coming up in the fall. I’m really looking forward to that tour man it’s going to be sick. I love the Roseland, good old Peter’s Room we’ve been there before. I also love the arcade that’s next door too. I’m really looking forward to the Kamelot tour. I’m a big fan of theirs in fact we all are. Fabio Lione the singer that is taking over for Roy is a huge influence on me. Rhapsody of Fire is one of the first Power Metal bands that I got into. Fabio’s one of the reasons why I’m doing Metal now. I owe that him a lot, so to get a chance to tour with him means a lot to me.

One last thing, I thought this was very cool of you guys to do. I’m sure you recall the little kid that was propped an adult’s shoulders? You made a point to high-five the kid a few times throughout the show. The kid must have been 6-7 years, at the end of the show(drummer) Justine (Ethier) sought him out and gave him a pair of drum sticks. It really made that kid’s night. That was very cool.

It’s great to see the kids coming out to the shows it’s our duty to give them a killer show. I remember when I was younger I met Jerry Only from The Misfits, before a show. He invited me on his RV we talked for a while he signed my stuff and put me on the guest list for the show. That kind of thing is always going to stay with me, if I can create something similar to that for somebody else why not. I’m not saying I’m on the same level as Jerry Only but I have to do what I can to make this the coolest night for the fans. I hope my acknowledgement during the show made his night and the drum sticks made it even better.

Iron Maiden - From Fear To Eternity -The Best Of 1990-2010

2011-05-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

Universal Music 2011

What do you do when you release a critically acclaimed studio album The Final Frontier and tour sparingly behind it? Well if you’re Iron Maiden and if you’re released a live recently you put out another greatest hits album of course! Needless to say this cycle of countless live albums and compilations is getting ridiculous. With a track listing includes recent choice cuts like; “Brave New World,” “The Wicker Man,” “El Dorado,” “Fear of the Dark,” “Be Quick or Be Dead,” and “Afraid to Shoot Strangers“ it‘s not a complete wash now is it?

From Fear To Eternity -The Best Of 1990-2010 is a double CD set that concentrates on the last twenty years of the band. This covers the albums; No Prayer for the Dying, Fear of the Dark, Brave New World, Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death and The Final Frontier. The Blaze Bailey era material from X Factor and Virtual XI are represented here in you guessed it- in live form from the Rock in Rio album. This album takes on the theme of the current Maiden live set list whereby the band has been playing current material mainly from their last four studio albums; Brave New World, Dance of Death, A Matter of Life and Death and The Final Frontier. Not exactly what the casual fan might want to hear but it’s a treat for the Maiden enthusiast who doesn’t mind the band mixing things up.

From Fear To Eternity isn’t going to fly off shelves with five existing Iron Maiden best of collections in existence. This collection could be used as sampler of Maiden's current work for casual fans who haven’t picked up Maiden’s work post 1992’s Fear of the Dark. If you are looking for a well rounded Iron Maiden compilation you might want to skip this and opt for 2002’s Edward the Great or 2008’s Somewhere Back In Time instead.

www.ironmaiden.com/

Twisted Sister - Under The Blade (Special Edition)

2011-05-15T20:25:00.001-07:00

Armoury Records 2011

The first thing that will catch your eye about the newly re-issued Under The Blade is the restored Secret Records artwork. Under The Blade and You Can’t Stop Rock ‘n’ Roll are Twisted Sister at their most metal. Sadly after these two efforts Twisted slapped more and more make-up, the outfits got out of control and their sound was more commercialized.

Armoury Records 2011 edition features the original recording which features concert staples like; “Shoot ‘Em Down,” “Destroyer,” “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You),” and the title cut “Under The Blade.” It doesn’t end there-Armoury Records included Twisted Sister’s Ruff Cutts E.P. which included early demo renditions of “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You),” “Shoot ‘Em Down,” “Under The Blade,” and early version of “Leader Of The Pack, and a live version of “Shoot ‘Em Down” taken from their triumphant performance at The Reading Festival from 1982. The Ruff Cutts E.P. was meant simply to tide over rabid fans until Twisted Sister released their debut album. Needless to say that the initial pressings sold out faster than you could say "is that a Twisted Sister pin on your uniform?"

Under The Blade 2.0’s greatness doesn’t end with these additional sought after tracks; there’s also a bonus DVD that features Twisted Sister’s appearance at The Reading Festival. While there are limitations given the available technology in 1982 and the fact that this performance is in raw form because it was broadcast to the V.I.P. tents across the festival grounds. This DVD showcases Twisted Sister’s punk rock attitude, their fantastic showmanship, their well crafted songs and their ability to move a crowd of thousands. Rounding out the DVD is an early era Twisted Sister interview that gives added value to this already must have collection.

www.twistedsister.com/

MICHAEL ROMEO OF SYMPHONY X: INFLUENCES RANGE FROM PANTERA TO FRANK ZAPPA

2011-05-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

From Nuclear Blast Records:

Music journalist Ruben Mosqueda of OregonMusicNews.com recently spoke with SYMPHONY X guitarist Michael Romeo during the band’s stop in Portland on May 7th. The band is currently on a headlining tour of North America in support of their upcoming new album, Iconoclast, due out in North America on June 21st. Iconoclast, SYMPHONY X’s eighth studio album, is the follow-up to 2007’s Paradise Lost, which has sold over 60,000 copies in North America.

For progressive bands there’s often the usual suspects as far as influences: Rush, E.L.P., King Crimson, and stuff like that. You’re also mentioning a lot of heavy metal.

I started playing guitar because of bands like AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest and Black Sabbath. I also enjoyed bands like Pantera when they came out. I was always about that kind of stuff but I was also into classical music. I also loved early Rush, I was a huge Rush fan. E.L.P., the same thing. I also love Frank Zappa.

Paradise Lost, the follow up to The Odyssey, was the album that took the band to the next level in terms of success in North America. After it was all said and done, what do you think you accomplished with that album and the touring cycle behind it?

At that point that was our best sounding album. We had a great balance of the heavy stuff and we concentrated a lot on the choruses for the songs on that album. The songwriting was very strong on the album. The record had a good feel to it; it was darker, it was heavy, good songs and it helped that metal was making a comeback in America. We did Gigantour in 2005, we started seeing an increase in sales not only in Asia, South America and Europe but also in America. So to answer your question, it was a combination of the metal resurgence and that fact that the album was good.

You’ve co-produced Symphony X albums in the past but on the last two records, and assume the new album Iconoclast, you’ve been sole producer…

The guys trust me now! [Laughs]

What does that mean to you?

Even in the early years we’ve always done the production at home. I’ve been recording stuff since I was 18. I’ve always invested time in my studio and have been willing to learn more. On the last couple of records I came to a point where I was more comfortable in that environment and in the role as producer. The gear that’s in the studio is top-notch.

Read the entire interview here:

http://oregonmusicnews.com/blog/2011/05/10/qa-symphony-x-guitarist-michael-romeo/

Just briefly; Trucker Diablo & Stone Collar

2011-05-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Trucker Diablo – The Devil Rhythm

Trucker Diablo doesn’t posses the most original of names nor does it roll off the tongue very well. They are a four piece band from Northern Ireland and they look like they should be loading trucks for a living. Their image is no image. They are working stiffs like you and me. Their sound is akin to Thin Lizzy meets Alabama Thunderpussy. It’s no frills, heavy, blistering rock ‘n roll. Their sound will mow you over like a big 18 wheeler shooting down the interstate. If you’re a true fan of unadulterated rock music then Trucker Diablo is the band for you. Track down their album The Devil Rhythm and you can have a cool new band to tell your friends about.

www.myspace.com/truckerdiablo

Stone Collar-Trial By Fire

Cape Town, South Africa’s own Stone Collar sent an album approparietly titled Trial By Fire. Stone Collar are an unsigned four piece that play modern rock in the tradition of bands like; Three Doors Down, Shinedown, Alter Bridge and Saving Abel. Thankfully I don’t hear a Nickelback influence on the album. The production is slick and sounds great to the ear. The songs on the other hand didn’t move me, but that isn’t to say that what they do as a collective unit isn’t worth checking out. If you’re a fan of the aforementioned bands then Stone Collar will statisfy you palette for contemporary rock. The guitar work is a high point so kudos to lead guitarist Sean Tait for showcasing his skills and letting other up and coming rockers that it’s “okay” to solo now and again.

www.stonecollar.co.za

Nazareth-Big Dogz

2011-04-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

Edel/Eagle Rock 2011

Big Dogz is the new album by Scottish outfit Nazareth. The title leaves more to be desired-very bush-league. The music on the other hand is surprisingly good. Nazareth has never strayed to far from what they are; a gritty, hard rocking bar band that has been known for delivering a memorable ballad or two. Vocalist Dan McCafferty and bassist Pete Angew are the two remaining original members on this bluesy, nicotine powered, whisky soaked, ball-buster of an album. The pair have been consistently releasing records throughout the years with different players Big Dogz marks their second consecutive album with the same line up. Making their return on guitar and drums respectively are; the great Jimmy Murrison and heavy hitter Lee Agnew.

Unfortunately Nazareth are still to this day best known in North America for their classic album Hair of the Dog and anything since that time has been virtually ignored by the media. In recent years they have released the albums Bogaloo and The Newz which have created a buzz in stateside and have received critical acclaim in Europe.

The biggest surprise on the Big Dogz isn’t so much that the band which features 2/4 of the original line-up is still kicking but the fact that singer Dan McCafferty sounds like he can do this for another 25 years and he’s 65! Dan McCafferty today sounds what like Axl Rose wished he sounded like when Guns N’ Roses tackled the Nazareth classic “Hair of the Dog” in 1994. In short Axl Rose can’t hold a candle to Dan McCafferty vocally these days.

There are many a highlight on Big Dogz; I‘ve elected give a brief overview on few. ”Radio” is a melancholy, retrospective, catchy ballad that captures the power of the airwaves when they reigned supreme. “Lifeboat” is McCafferty’s take on politicians through the eyes of a rock ’n’ roll elder statesman. It’s got bite and more angst that bands half McCafferty’s age! Seriously. “When Jesus Comes to Save the World” a slow moving number that sounds very British and the lyrical content is deeper than you might initially think. With Big Dogz Nazareth has come out of nowhere with an album that can not be ignored. North America you have been served notice.

www.nazarethdirect.co.uk/nazareth/

Intreview with Carmine Appice of King Kobra

2011-04-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

Carmine Appice has worked with some great musicians and bands throughout the years; with Rod Stewart he recorded four studio albums and he managed to get co-writing credit on one of Stewart’s signature songs “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” He has also played with Ted Nugent, Michael Schenker, Pat Travers, he’s been a part of Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, Blue Murder and the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice. He even tried his hand at glam rock with his 80’s band King Kobra who he has recorded five albums with. The most recent album being King Kobra due on May 3rd in North America via Frontiers Records. We caught up with King Kobra founder Carmine Appice and talked about the new album, their new singer Paul Shortino (ex-Rough Cutt/Quiet Riot), Marcie Free, Blue Murder , Guitar Zeus, and the correct way to say his last name. Enjoy it, I sure did.

The album leading up to this album Hollywood Trash featured Kelly Keeling (Baton Rouge, Michael Schenker Group) on vocals. Was that what you’d call a proper King Kobra record?

I don’t know what you’d call proper? It was not the original King Kobra, at the time I had a deal to do a new King Kobra record and I didn’t they’d want to do it. Johnny Rod was in jail at the time! (laughs) Mark Free or Marcie Free had no desire to do another King Kobra album because it was to heavy for him-her or whatever. I put together a new version of King Kobra with people who I know and love and the singer was Kelly Keeling. We wrote some songs together and Hollywood Trash was very reminiscent of my Guitar Zeus albums, a modern sound and heavy. On the new album King Kobra the label specified that they wanted a record that sounded like our old record-they wanted an 80’s sounding record.

Since Hollywood Trash was heavier you made mention that Marcie Free wouldn’t be interested. However, since the new album was going back to the vintage sound did you think about approaching her about it?

No. I’ll tell you why, I had a Mexican DVD from a show we had done in the 80’s. I wanted to simply put it out on the market for whatever fans would be interested in the video. This was the only piece of video of King Kobra live. I wanted to put this out on a label who I’ve worked with Fuel 2000 and it wasn’t about of money. There wasn’t a lot of money in it, let’s just put it out there for the fans of King Kobra can buy it if they want it. I called her up about it and she said no. She took it a step further and said that if I released it that she’d sue me! I was like come on give me a break! There’s not even any money in this, it’s about getting the footage out there for the fans. That left a bad taste in my mouth and coupled with the fact that Mark Free left the band because he wanted to play wimpier music and this is more along the lines of Ready to Strike. There was just no way that he’d want to do it and besides it would just be better without him. We wound up getting a new singer and Paul Shortino came to mind because he happened to be involved with mixing a Keel record. We were having a conversation with producer Pat Regan and Paul Shortino came up in the conversation. I had worked with Paul before we had a great time together so I gave him a call. He said he’d do it so them we gave Dave (David Michael-Philips) and he said he’d do it and we went from there. I’ll tell you what, not only did he doe a fantastic job singing but he did an outstanding job engineering the record and the production of the album. Dave is also a great producer, engineer and great with pro-tools. Between the three of us we put the record together and turned it into the label.

So Paul simply came up and there was no formal singer auditions?

I know a lot of great singers I’ve recorded and played with the best. I really hit it off with Paul and when his name came up I knew we had to get him. There wasn’t a need to look further, plus he was in the movie Spinal Tap so we even put it out on the internet that Duke Fame was singing in King Kobra! (laughs)

As you stated the album does capture that vintage King Kobra sound. Paul really fits in well, I love what he did on the first Rough Cutt album and I enjoyed that album he did with Quiet Riot.

He a great rock singer. Mark had a good voice but it was thinner, Paul has this soulful, blues, he adds some R&B and he has a husky vocal that works well in this band.

When you approached Johnny Rod and David Michael Philips about re-launching the band what were their initial thoughts because unlike Mick Sweda they were a part of the last album?

Dave was all in from the beginning he was with Pat and I when we started talking about do King Kobra again. Dave happened to be in L.A. installing program in jet fighters, most people don’t know this but Dave works for Intel as a computer programmer. We went to dinner and Dave mentioned that Pat was mixing the Keel album and that’s how we came in contact with Pat. Johnny had been calling me ever since he got out of jail for reasons that I won’t get into here. He was constantly calling me saying “why don’t we do something, why don’t we do something?” So I knew he was into it and Mick (Sweda) wasn’t doing anything at the moment. I’d kept in contact with Mick via email and I knew he wasn’t doing anything at the time. So I waited to get the “okay” from everybody and I called up our manager and said “hey we got the original band with Paul Shortino, that’s not a bad package!” We had a couple of other deals thrown at us but we went with Frontiers because we think Frontiers has the 80’s thing sewn up.

As far as the album goes there are a number of standout tracks; I love “Midnight Woman,” “This is How We Roll,” I really like the sequencing of the album more so toward the end. “You Make it Easy,” “Cryin’ Turns to Rain,” “Screaming for More,” and “Fade Away” that wraps up the album. The way those tracks are sequenced in particular ends the album on a very high note.

Dave and I would come up with a lot of the sequencing on the album. I’m a huge believer that you’ve got to have songs with different tempos. I don’t like having songs with similar tempos following each other, I don’t want to hear a fast song followed by another fast one. I want songs with varying tempos following one another. I want a ballad followed by a fast one and that followed by something that’s mid-tempo.

What was the songwriting team on the album? Who wrote on this album?

It was basically me, Dave and Paul wrote the bulk of the material. There were an outside writer here and there, in fact Mark Free was one of them on a couple. He was given co-writing credit because couple of those song ideas were things we had laying around from the 80’s; we updated, rearranged them and in some cases rewrote them. Our thought was if they want something that sounds 80’s we’ll given something that we wrote in the 80’s! (laughs) In addition to writing the three of us also were responsible for the production of the album.

You’re always working one something; I saw you a few weeks ago on the Jimmy Fallon show you were back playing with Vanilla Fudge, you re-launched Cactus a few years ago, and I saw you drumming with Michael Schenker last summer. What your motivation, because most of your contemporaries are slowing things down you’re still going full-steam ahead.

This is my hobby! (laughs) This is what I do and I still have a passion for it. I like to create, I like to play. Like you said my contemporaries have made their money they’ve slowed down and they might be happy taking it easy and sitting around at home-that’s not me. I have a crazy lifestyle, my girlfriend lives in New York and my kids live in L.A. so I can be in either place any given week. I love to travel, I love being on a plane and I just love what I do. My idols played till they died and I hope to do the same.

One of the things that often comes up when there’s mention of yourself or John Sykes is the band Blue Murder. Would you like to see that band rise again? There’s a lot of love for that band among rock fans.

Dude, I’ve been trying to get that band back together since 2000. I don’t think it’s meant to be. We’ve come close a couple of times. When John Sykes left Thin Lizzy close to two years ago, I thought it was to do his own thing and that thing was to go out with Blue Murder. We have a lot of unfinished business with Blue Murder-when we play together it’s magic. We spoke, we got together and called a bunch of managers and we never got other. I’d like us to do something, it’s just too bad because it was a great band and I know we’d impress a lot of people if we were out there playing today. I’ve played with Tony (Franklin) on several sessions, he played on the Guitar Zeus albums with me.

Speaking of Guitar Zeus you got both of the albums packaged together after years of them being available only as import. Will there be a third installment in the near future?

Right they hadn’t been released in America so I got deal with Fuel 2000 and they put it out. I figured if someone wants it they can buy it domestically rather than spending $30.00 and buying it from Germany of something. I don’t know how people are getting away with selling it. I see it on Ebay and other places and I’m nit seeing any royalties from them! (laughs) We are working on a new record deal out of Japan so it looks like there will be another one in the works.

Last question, you and your brother Vinny (Appice) have been involved in a drum war. In fact you made a DVD years ago where you battled it out for the family name. You pronounce your name Appice (A-peace) where your brother pronounces it Appice (A-pacee). What’s the correct way to say your last name?

Right. Oh, there he is walking down the stairs right now. Yeah we did a drums war event last night and we are at my girlfriends house recovering. I’m taking a nap after I’m done with you. My girlfriend and Vinny have been sleeping while I’ve been doing interviews. On the DVD we made a deal that the one that won would get the other to use the winner’s pronunciation. The one that won was my older brother Frank who said “they’re both wrong the correct pronunciation is Appice (A-pechee)!” (laughs)

www.carmineappice.net

In the news: Nevermore announce the departure of Jeff Loomis and Van Williams

2011-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

From: Century Media 4/21/11

Nevermore guitar player Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams have announced their departure from the group. The two have released a joint statement:

"In a mutual decision Jeff Loomis and Van Williams have decided to leave Nevermore. The time has come to pursue our own paths from the group. Due to internal struggles and ongoing issues within the band, we feel it is our time to move on. We would like to thank all of our fans around the world for their years of love, support and enthusiasm. This was not an easy decision but a very necessary one at this point, may we all meet again someday, somewhere in time."

Loomis and Williams had been with Nevermore since the band's first album, 1995's self titled, Nevermore.

NEVERMORE recently announced that they would be cancelling their planned tour with Symphony X. No information regarding additional confirmed tour dates is known at this time.

Gypsyhawk - Patience and Perseverance

2011-04-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

Creator-Destructor Records 2010

There’s no doubt that if you’re an old school 70’s classic rock buff you will find a lot to love about Gypsyhawk. The band was founded by singer/bassist Eric Harris who was previously a member of Skeletonwitch and had a brief stint with Holy Grail. Patience and Perseverance is a melodic, guitar-driven album whose dual axe attack will instantly bring Thin Lizzy to mind. Their luminous use of dual guitar harmonics is so infectious that the listener is instantly drawn in. Gypsyhawk pay homage (or overkill) to the aforementioned Thin Lizzy on the track “For Those Who Love The Lizz.” The track would put a gigantic grin on the face of late great Phil Lynott. That isn’t to say that Gypsyhawk’s music doesn’t pack the jolt of an ornery mule-because it certainly does.

The difference between Gypsyhawk and Harris’ previous band Skeletonwitch is like night and day. Skeletonwitch leans heavily on The New Wave of British Heavy Metal’s early Black Metal like; Venom and Mercyful Fate. Gypsyhawk fits nicely with the current crop of traditional metal acts like; Holy Grail, White Wizzard and Icarus Witch who are cut from the same cloth as Saxon, Iron Maiden and Diamond Head. The standout tracks are; Patience and Perseverance is a strong effort with the framework for a lengthy career in the future. The jury is out on whether the Thin Lizzy influence will prevent them from evolving enough to develop their own identity.

www.facebook.com/Gypsyhawkusa

The Rods-Vengeance

2011-04-18T12:24:00.001-07:00

Niji Entertainment 2011

East Coast rockers The Rods have reunited for another go at it. Hot on the heels of Dave “Rock” Feinstein’s solo effort Bitten Buy The Beast comes The Rods’ Vengeance. Unlike the eclectic effort by Feinstein this is a true hard rock/metal effort through and through.

In their prime The Rods never received the level of praise and success that they should have, instead they gained the type of underground notoriety that bands like Anvil, Raven or Exciter received Stateside. Vengeance is a true retro album; it’s pure uncompromising, aggressive, melodic heavy metal. As individual musicians The Rods have been overlooked, but as a collective unit they are tight, precise, primed and ready to rock. Dave “Rock” Feinstein’s vocal isn’t the most dynamic or impressive for that matter but it has stood the test of time.

Certainly there’s some level of nepotism as both The Rods’ and Dave “Rock” Feinstein’s new albums were issued by Niji Entertainment and both featured one of Ronnie James Dio’s final recordings respectively. The truth of the matter is that in the current state of the music business without the Dio inclusions both of these releases would have stood a snowball’s chance in hell of getting released in any other format other than a self-release. Vengeance is just the right length of time and even if it didn’t include “The Code” which Ronnie James Dio sang on; the record is still respectable. Some of the other highlights include; “Raise Some Hell,” “I Just Wanna Rock,” “Runnin’ Wild,” and “Vengeance.” If you’re looking for a veteran band that is true to their roots and doesn’t embarrass themselves by stepping outside of what they know then pick up this album.

www.therods.com/

Duff McKagan’s Loaded - The Taking

2011-04-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Armoury Records 2011

Duff McKagan is Generation X’s equivalent to Keith Richards(Rolling Stones) or Steve Perry (Aerosmith) he has lived the fast life and lived to tell about it. Not only that but the guy has been in two huge bands back to back in Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver with former Guns N’ Roses members guitarist Slash and drummer Matt Sorum. Through the years Duff has released solo albums and been a part of Seattle’s 10 Minute Warning, he’s played with Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, Matt Sorum and Duran Duran’s John Taylor in The Neurotic Outsiders. Most recently he collaborated with the reunited Jane’s Addiction who he wrote an album with before leaving due to creative differences.

As mentioned when Duff McKagan isn’t writing, recording and touring with Velvet Revolver he’s keeping busy with some of his other projects. Loaded is a band that he founded years ago, predating Velvet Revolver. Loaded eventually was signed by independent Metal label Century Media which released an E.P. and the album Sick. The aforementioned album received critical acclaim by Hard Rock fans and journalists alike, sadly the record didn’t receive proper promotion and it disappeared as quickly as it surfaced.

Duff and Loaded have unleashed their latest offering The Taking on a new label but same reckless rock ’n’ roll attitude as before. At this point in his career McKagan has nothing to prove and has the artistic freedom to do what he feels. The Taking has the intensity and urgency of a scrappy green band that is able and willing to fight their way to the top. The album is set up splendidly with the one-two punch with the abrasive “Lords Of Abandon,” and “Executioner’s Song.” Unlike Sick, The Taking is a darker, moodier album as evidence by; “Dead Skin” the first single and “Follow Me To Hell.” Interestingly enough McKagan included the uplifting and catchy “We Win” that was used as the battle cry for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2010 NFL season. Also out of place on The Taking given the mood and theme of the album is “Kings and Queens.” In short The Taking is two tracks too long in length, it’s jam packed with unadulterated punk rock and no frills rock ‘n’ roll. The Taking is a solid effort but it doesn’t edge out it’s predecessor Sick.

www.duff-loaded.com/

Oregon Music News with Holy Grail singer James Paul Luna

2011-04-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

I caught up with Holy Grail singer James Paul Luna to talk about the band's new album Crisis In Utopia. Holy Grail is currently on tour with Cauldron, they will be making a stop in Portland on April 17th. The following is an excerpt from the story found on Oregon Music News.

Oregon Music News: There have been comparisons between Holy Grail and your former band White Wizzard. I think Crisis In Utopia will help Holy Grail break away from future comparisons.

James Paul Luna: Yeah, I would have to agree with you. While it wasn’t a complete conscious effort, the reason we left White Wizzard was to do something with more variety. We still have that classic metal influence but we are also utilizing some thrash metal, power metal, death metal with shredding guitars in the mix. We knew that eventually we’d evolve and the two bands would sound nothing alike. We didn’t want to be another White Wizzard-type band. We left that band to broaden our metal spectrum.

To read the entire interview click the link below:

http://oregonmusicnews.com/blog/2011/04/14/so-cal-metal-at-dantes-qa-with-holy-grail-lead-singer-james-paul-luna/

In the news: SPV to release Fullforce album

2011-04-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

SPV SIGNS WORLDWIDE DEAL WITH SWEDISH METAL OUTFIT FULLFORCE DEBUT ALBUM "ONE" OUT IN JUNE 2011

FULLFORCE was formed in 2009 and now consists of members Mike Andersson (Cloudscape, Vocals), Stefan Elmgren (ex Hammerfall, Guitars), Anders Johansson (Hammerfall, ex Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Drums), CJ Grimmark (ex Narnia, Guitars) and Tommy Larsson (ex Heed, Bass). The Swedish five-piece started to write songs in order to complete their debut album and they describe their music to be a genuine blend of traditional, catchy heavy metal to more updated melodic metal with some ethnic touches which will make them a standout to within the genre. The band truly believes in their music and in late 2010 they completed the recording of 12 songs to be included on "One."

"After being in contact with a few interested labels during these last months, we are happy to announce the decision of becoming a part of the SPV family! SPV is a label with a great Metal tradition and it's an honor for FULLFORCE to join forces with them for the release of our debut album "One". In SPV we see a good vision and a great future for FULLFORCE...this is the best thing that could have happened to us!" (Mike Andersson, FULLFORCE vocalist)

"There are always reservations regarding bands with ex-members of well known bands but with FULLFORCE it´s different. I think that a lot of people will be very surprised when they hear the songs. It´s great to have the band on our roster and I´m sure that there is a bright future for the band." (Olly Hahn, A&R SPV Steamhammer)

The album "One" will be released through SPV / Steamhammer on June 20th in Germany, June 23rd in Europe and on June 28th in USA/Canada.

For more info visit:

www.fullforce.se

www.facebook.com/fullforcesweden

www.myspace.com/fullforcesweden

www.spv.de

180 Proof - The Gutter Sessions Part 1: The Filth and Freedom Overture

2011-04-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

Independently Released 2011

180 Proof are a Melbourne, Australia based three piece that culls from punk, hard rock and metal subgenres and mold them into an entertaining, yet potent rock ‘n’ roll concoction. The band released their four track E.P. entitled The Gutter Sessions Part 1: The Filth And Freedom Overture. The title is excessive, self-indulgent, their name is juvenile, the music is crude, sleazy and obnoxious. A winning combination to draw the record buying demographic-the kids.

180 Proof vocalist and guitarist uses the moniker J.J. Motherfucker, their bassist has dubbed himself Professor Serious and their drummer is Andrew Andrew “Andy” Andrews. Not the best stage names but it’s the music that is the true test. The E.P. is true unadulterated, high energy, rowdy rock ‘n’ roll with the swagger of Bon Scott era AC/DC. The standout tracks on this explosive E.P. are; “Stick It To The Man,” and “It Sucks To Be You.” 180 Proof don’t write literary masterpieces and they don’t pretend have those abilities or desires. What 180 Proof is able to do is rock hard-quite memorably too.

www.myspace.com/oneeightyproof

In the news: Whitesnake to release live album and DVD

2011-03-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

MARCH 29TH, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE FANS DEMANDED IT...WHITESNAKE "LIVE AT
DONINGTON 1990" DVD/DOUBLE LIVE CD SET AVAILABLE
JUNE 7TH ON FRONTIERS RECORDS

NEW WHITESNAKE ALBUM "FOREVERMORE" IN STORES TODAY

(New York, NY) - The fans demanded it...Whitesnake's LIVE AT DONINGTON 1990 DVD/live double CD set will now be available on June 7th via Frontiers Records. Since the inception of Whitesnake.com more than ten years ago, this DVD has been the most requested product from fans of the 'Snake.

On August 18th, 1990, Whitesnake headlined the legendary Monsters Of Rock at Castle Donington festival (now known as Download). Whitesnake's performance at the festival was one of the most memorable events on the "Liquor & Poker World Tour" that saw the band play sold-out shows to over one million people. This incredible, never-before-seen, visual footage captures one of the most musically-intense Whitesnake line-ups performing in front 70,000+ fans. Mixed in glorious 5.1 and living, breathing stereo, it's the next best thing to actually being there! Whitesnake 1990 featured guitar greats Steve Vai and Adrian Vandenberg, bassist Rudy Sarzo, drummer Tommy Aldridge and of course, incomparable frontman David Coverdale.

The LIVE AT DONINGTON 1990 DVD also includes a substantial gallery of never before seen stills of the band on the "Liquor & Poker World Tour 1990", plus an intimate behind-the-scenes documentary of the making-of the SLIP OF THE TONGUE album. LIVE AT DONINGTON 1990 will be available as a 2 CD set, a DVD coverpack, a combo 2 CD and DVD in digipak and digital editions. Please see below for the respective double CD and DVD track listings.

In other news, Whitesnake's brand new album FOREVERMORE is out today via Frontiers Records and is available in multiple configurations. The album is already receiving rave reviews from the press with The Aquarian dubbing it, "excellent...their bluesiest and grittiest release since their 1984 masterpiece SLIDE IT IN...", while Hard Rock Hideout declares, "Make no mistake, FOREVERMORE, is an early front runner for record of the year." FOREVERMORE finds founder/singer/songwriter David Coverdale and company returning to their no-holds-barred, bluesiest, sexiest rock n' roll roots. Whitesnake is David Coverdale (vocals), Doug Aldrich (guitars), Reb Beach (guitars), Michael Devin (bass) and Briian Tichy (drums). The 'Snake will soon hit the road in support of FOREVERMORE...please see below for tour dates.

Formed in 1977, and steered by the legendary David Coverdale, Whitesnake carry a rightful reputation as one of the world's leading rock n' roll bands. Coverdale's blues roots, combined with a feral sense of rockin' and rollin', have consistently shaped the 'Snake's sound along with Coverdale's love and appreciation of impeccable musicianship. Whitesnake's ascent to the very top of the rock n' roll heap was confirmed with 1987's self-titled mega-platinum album, which saw two massive Top 10 hits, two #1 singles with "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love" and a virtual 24-hour domination of MTV around the world.

Whitesnake LIVE AT DONINGTON 1990 DVD track listing:

1. Slip Of The Tongue
2. Slide It In
3. Judgement Day
4. Slow An Easy
5. Kitten's Got Claws
6. Adagio For Strato
7. Flying Dutchman Boogie
8. Is This Love
9. Cheap An' Nasty
10. Crying In The Rain (featuring Tommy Aldridge drum solo)
11. Fool For Your Loving
12. For The Love Of God
13. The Audience Is Listening
14. Here I Go Again
15. Bad Boys
16. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
17. Still Of The Night
18. BONUS CONTENT: The Making Of SLIP OF THE TONGUE; Slide Show

Whitesnake LIVE AT DONINGTON 1990 CD 1 track listing:

1. Slip Of The Tongue
2. Slide It In
3. Judgement Day
4. Slow An Easy
5. Kitten's Got Claws
6. Adagio For Strato
7. Flying Dutchman Boogie
8. Is This Love
9. Cheap An' Nasty
10. Crying In The Rain (featuring Tommy Aldridge drum solo)

Whitesnake LIVE AT DONINGTON 1990 CD 2 track listing:

1. Fool For Your Loving
2. For The Love Of God
3. The Audience Is Listening
4. Here I Go Again
5. Bad Boys
6. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
7. Still Of The Night

Whitesnake on tour:

MAY
11 Westbury, NY Theatre At Westbury
12 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
14 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion (M3 Festival headline)
15 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn's Peak
18 New York, NY Irving Plaza
20 Biloxi, MS Hard Rock Biloxi Hotel & Casino
21 Kinder, LA Grand Casino Coushatta
22 Richardson, TX Wildflower Arts & Music Festival
24 Southaven, MS Snowden Grove
26 Park City, KS Hartman Arena
27 Pryor, OK Pryor Creek Music Festival (Rocklahoma)

For more information please visit:

www.whitesnake.com

www.frontiers.it

In the news: Slayer & Rob Zombie to tour together

2011-03-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SLAYER AND ROB ZOMBIE TO BRING HELL ON EARTH TO NORTH AMERICA The Two Metal Icons Will Together for the First Time in More than a Decade LOS ANGELES, CA - MONDAY, March 28, 2011 -- Get ready for hell on earth, because for the first time since they tour together on Ozzfest 1999, Rob Zombie and Slayer are teaming up to hit the road, bringing a glorious purgatory to fans in 12 North American cities. The co-headline trek kicks off Wednesday, July 20 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 1 at 10:00AM local time. Tickets for all shows are available at the venues' box office, and via the online outlets as listed below. "We haven't toured with Zombie since Ozzfest 1999, so you can expect no less than 'hell on earth,'" said Slayer's Kerry King. "Total sonic annihilation and a visual bludgeoning. Bring your own body bag..." "Total destruction on stage and off is what this combination promises," states Zombie, "Seriously, how much more Hell could you ask for? The answer is none more Hell." Both Zombie and Slayer will present their full headline sets at every show, and both bands will close shows over the course of the tour. San Francisco's thrash-metal band Exodus has been confirmed to open all shows. Slayer has been performing its classic 1990 Seasons In the Abyss album in its entirety over the past several months, but will instead draw from its entire 30-year catalogue for this tour's setlist. Never one to play it safe, Zombie will be bringing his legendary stage show out in full force. Audiences can expect an exploding non-stop barrage of sin, sex and Satan guaranteed to rip your face off. This a true rock and roll spectacle at its finest. Rob Zombie: With more than 15 million albums sold, seven Grammy nominations, the helming of five major motion pictures (including the #1 record-breaking "Halloween") and dozens of music videos under his belt, Zombie is truly a force to be reckoned with in today's entertainment landscape. For over 25 years his unique meld of horror and hard rock has influenced his sound as a musician, and more recently, his vision as a director and writer. After the tour, Zombie will be starting production on his sixth feature film, "The Lords of Salem," with the producers of the Paranormal Activity franchise. Slayer: The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot wrote that the four-time-nominated, two-time Grammy winning Slayer is "one of the great American rock bands of the last 30 years, forget about genre." Indeed, few bands come close to matching the intensity that Slayer brings to its live shows, having been named "Best Live Band" by numerous media outlets including Revolver, SPIN, and Metal Hammer. With songs that mirror the turmoil and aberrations of our society - God's terrifying global genocide, the chaos of our broken political system, chemical warfare, the hideous minds of serial killers, and the way-too-close proximity of world horrors that technology has brought us, Slayer remains crushing and brutal, steadfastly refusing to cater to the Mainstream. Dates for the Slayer and Rob Zombie tour are as follows: JULY 20 Sovereign Center, Reading, PA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations 22 DTE Amphitheatre, Detroit, MI - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations 23 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations 24 Heavy T.O. at Downsview Park, Toronto, ON Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations 27 MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations 29 Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations 30 Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations 31 Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations AUGUST 2 Save-On-Foods Memorial Center, Victoria, BC Canada - SelectYourTickets.com 3 Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC Canada - ticketmaster.ca and all Ticketmaster locations 5 Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR - ComcastTix.com 6 WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA - ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations

In the news: SOILWORK Singer and ARCH ENEMY Bass Player Launch Classic Rock Band

2011-03-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

For immediate release:

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, the new classic rock band featuring Björn Strid (SOILWORK) and Sharlee D' Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS), have posted two songs on their Facebook and Myspace pages. For music visit: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Night-Flight-Orchestra/210664785613576?sk=app_178091127385 www.myspace.com/nightflightorchestra

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA started like so many others as an innocent yet serious drunken idea when Björn Strid (SOILWORK) and David Andersson (MEAN STREAK, session SOILWORK) were on the road together somewhere in North America in 2007. Björn and David were bonding over what they considered "classic" or not, from rock n roll conspiracies to being arrested in a lobby with nothing but leather pants on. All those scenarios, fictional or real, needed a soundtrack. They also came to think that whether you're on a metal tour or not, a lot of classic rock songs say it all and can really lend you a helping hand and make you forget about everything, especially when in motion or travelling. The classic escape. The never-ending road trip. The transatlantic night flight. It may sound simple and naive but what it all comes down to is that we all need that soundtrack to feel extra special, whether you have been arrested in a lobby or not.

It didn't take long before bass player Sharlee D' Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS) joined forces as well as keyboard player Richard Larsson (VON BENZO) and drummer Jonas Källsbäck (MEAN STREAK). The goal was to reclaim the 70's/early 80's sense for classic melody, the forgotten recipe to a timeless song, preferably a song mentioning a city, street name or an exhilarating alcoholic beverage. Anything that will have you spitting out the word 'classic'. From "Tarot Woman" to "Badlands", from "Rhiannon" to "Running on Empty", from "Blind Man" to "Night Moves", from "Deuce" to "Separate Ways", from "Elected" to "Set me Free". The list goes on. It's all about reclaiming the "classic". The band is currently unsigned but are looking into recording their debut album this summer.

In the news:NOISECREEP HOSTING EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE OF NEW ACOUSTIC CLUTCH SONG

2011-03-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

From Freeman Promotions:

NOISECREEP HOSTING EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE OF NEW ACOUSTIC CLUTCH SONG

WEATHERMAKER MUSIC & INDIEMERCH.COM TO OFFER UBER-DELUXE PACKAGE & SONG PREMIERE AT BRAND NEW CLUTCH STORE!

Over the past weeks, CLUTCH has been offering exclusive sneak peeks into their "Basket of Eggs" project that will be included as a bonus disc in the deluxe reissue of their classic album "Blast Tyrant" which is scheduled for an April 26th release. That being the case, today is no different as CLUTCH is giving everyone one more chance to check out another acoustic track.. Hard rock and heavy metal music hub Noisecreep is currently streaming the acoustic version of the CLUTCH classic "Drink to the Dead". Get your first listen at http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/03/25/clutch-blast-tyrant-reissue-drink-to-the-dead-song-premiere/

In related CLUTCH news, Weathermaker Music has once again joined forces with IndieMerch.com to offer an exclusive 3 day pre-sale of the uber-deluxe version of CLUTCH'S classic "Blast Tyrant" release! For exactly 72 hours, beginning on Friday March 25th at 3pm (est), CLUTCH'S 25 song, 2CD expanded reissue package will contain not only a newly designed O-card, 20 page booklet and 10 song "Basket of Eggs" bonus music project, but will ALSO come loaded with a one of a kind limited edition "Blast Tyrant" short sleeve t-shirt AND a special die-cut "Worm Drink" bumper sticker. The shirt features illustrations from "Blast Tyrant's Atlas of the Invisible World" such as Ragnarok, The Huntress, 50 Eyed Beast, La Curandera etc. Each shirt will feature an individually numbered "Basket of Eggs" interior tag, as well as an exterior Weathermaker Music insignia/label. This time-limited CLUTCH deluxe package will be priced at $25.98 until Monday March 28th at 3pm EST at which time this exclusive indiemerch.com pre-order will switch over to the original $15.98 double disc package (which contains all of the above-minus the Clutch t-shirt).

This "Blast Tyrant" reissue, which follows in the footsteps of the highly successful "From Beale Street to Oblivion" and "Robot Hive/Exodus" double disc packages, will be available at music retailers and digital outlets on April 26th. To sample a featured CLUTCH bonus track NOW from "Basket of Eggs" called "Steve Doocy", or to pre-order this uber-deluxe "Blast Tyrant" package, go to Clutch's new online store at:

http://www.clutchmerch.com/

CLUTCH recently announced a 9 date headlining tour beginning May 20th in Reading, PA to promote their forthcoming "BASKET OF EGGS" project, as well as serving as an extended warm up run for their large scale European Festival tour in June. The 10 day south-eastern US run (dates below) will feature Maylene & the Sons of Disaster as main support. CLUTCH will keep the average ticket price for these shows to a fan friendly $17.50.

5/20 Reading, PA @ Reverb
5/21 Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
5/23 Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
5/24 St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
5/25 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
5/26 Jacksonville, FL @ Free Bird Live
5/27 Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
5/28 Greenville, SC @ The Handlebar
5/29 Huntington, WV @ V Club

For more information be sure to visit:

http://pro-rock.com/

http://weathermakermusic.com/

Mindflow - With Bare Hands

2011-03-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

Rock On Stage Management 2011

If you think of hard and heavy music from Brazil it’s natural that you think of the classic Sepultura line-up or the punk/core band Ratos de Porão. Mindflow is a contemporary band from Brazil that isn’t as abrasive or heavy but has just enough charm to get played on modern rock radio. They have issued a polished sounding album in With Bare Hands produced by Ben Grosse who has worked with Sevendust, Filter, Fuel, Alter Bridge and Disturbed. Mindflow will be embarking on a spring tour of the of United States shortly.

Mindflow incorporate elements from the worlds of hard rock, nu-metal, with a little bit of progressive rock. The songs are well structured, some are very catchy, their musicianship is excellent, their use of the English language is stellar and essential if a band is going to break into the U.S. market. Having said that this band isn’t for everybody Mindflow are a band that could get lost in modern rock radio. They don’t have a sound that is distinct to them or that makes them stand heads and shoulders above the rest of the pack. With Bare Hands is a too long at 14 tracks which made it mundane and hard to get through the second half of the album. What really worked was “Break Me Out” which opened the album with some great slide guitar, an explosive solo, memorable chorus and just a fantastic song overall. The only other track that matched the level and quality of “Break Me Out” was “Breakthough.” If this were 1998 Mindflow would be a smash, in 2011 they are just one of the boys.

www.myspace.com/letyourmindflow

Whitesnake-Forevermore

2011-03-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Frontiers Records 2011

In 2009 after main snake and front man David Coverdale blew out his voice; his future was seriously up in the air. It was gut wrenching watching the footage of David being reduced to mere mortal status. David went home to rest up, heal and he vowed to be back.

Whitesnake’s last effort Good To Be Bad was a strong, well written album that featured material that was akin to their late 80’s glory. Putting together a band of highly skilled musicians surely doesn’t hurt either. Like much of Whitesnake’s storied career there is a revolving door; returning are guitarists Dough Aldrich and Reb Beach, they are joined by bassist Michael Devin (Lynch Mob, Kenny Wayne Shepherd), and drummer Brian Tichey (Billy Idol, Pride & Glory, Foreigner, Lynch Mob). As with previous line-ups Coverdale has reloaded Whitesnake with talent.

Forevermore expands on where the band left of on Good To Be Bad, in this installment we find David Coverdale and Doug Aldrich digging deep and returning with vintage Whitesanke blues riffs, a grittier and harder sound. To say that on Forevermore Coverdale and Aldrich collectively borrowed the best elements from each Whitesnake era of the band’s illustrious 34 year career isn’t that far from the truth. Coverdale sounds stronger than ever on this album, sure there will be doubters until he does it live. Forevermore is a brilliant effort from beginning to end. Highlights on the album include; the stompin’ “Steal You Heart Away,” “All Out Of Luck” reeks of the band 80’s excess, the ultra catchy lead single “Love Will Set you Free,” the Rolling Stones influenced “I Need You (Shine A Light),” the ’87 sounding “Dogs In The Street,” and the bluesy “Whipping Boy Blues.” Forevermore thus far is the rock album of the year bar none.

www.whitesnake.com/

Sleaze Roxx Interview with guitarist Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake

2011-03-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

Photograph by Ash Newell

I caught up with with Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake and Dio recently. He was doing press for Whitesnake's excellent new album Forevermore due March 29th, 2011 in the United States. Here's an excerpt of the interview from Sleaze Roxx.

Sleaze Roxx: As a fan of Whitesnake from all eras it sounds like you locked yourself in a room and you didn't surface until you came out with classic 'Snake riffs. Was it that simple?

Doug Aldrich: You know we didn't really think about it that much. We didn't sit around thinking that we needed to write a ballad for instance that sounded a certain way, because it would be cutting off a lot of other inspiration. We would just write. There are songs that naturally sounded like the classic Whitesnake blues sound and then David added his touch to it. We approached all of the songs in the same manner as we did with the last album Good To Be Bad. I definitely didn't sit down with a goal to write another "Still Of The Night" or another "Slide It In"... I just couldn't do it. I just had to let the songs come out the way that they are. That's actually the advice I have for anyone that writes -- don't put any constraints on yourself, just see what happens.

The rest of the interview can be viewed by clicking the link below:

www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/dougaldrich

Black 'N Blue – Hell Yeah!

2011-03-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Frontiers Records 2011

Black 'N Blue are hard rock legends in their hometown of Portland, Oregon. In fact the band was indicted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2010. The guys moved to L.A. in the midst of the L.A. glam rock scene and they fit in well. They caught the attention of David Geffen and were signed to his imprint. Black 'N Blue had big name producers manning the soundboard on the studio albums that included; Dieter Dirks (Scorpions, Twisted Sister and Accept), Gene Simmons (of KISS), Jonathan Cain (of Jounrey) and Bruce Fairbairn (Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, KISS & AC/DC). It’s baffling why Black 'N Blue didn’t become a household name, they had a major label support, top-notch producers, they toured extensively and they had great material on those 4 Geffen releases.

In 2010 Black 'N Blue reconvened after a lengthy hiatus. The band has reformed various times throughout the years and played some special hometown gigs or special U.S. festivals. Prior to that singer Jaime St. James spent a few years fronting Warrant and that spawned an album Born Again which wasn’t well received. Tommy Thayer who spent years as member of the KISS touring staff stepped into the Space Ace character vacated by Ace Frehley in 2002; he recorded Sonic Boom with the band and continues to tour extensively. Drummer Pete Holmes has kept busy touring with Michael Schenker and Malice. Stepping in for Thayer in Black ’N Blue is guitarist Shawn Sonnenschein a close friend of the band.

This brings us to the new studio album Hell Yeah! the follow up to 1988’s In Heat. I imagine Black 'N Blue's goal behind Hell Yeah! is to release an album as a reason to hit the road, rather than touring to promote the album. I say this is because from the mediocre opening track “Monkey” you sense that something is very wrong. There isn’t a catchy hook, there's no memorable riff, the production is muddy and the song just isn’t there. Hell Yeah! doesn’t get much better either, the only saving grace is that St. James' voice has held up, they deliver some great gang vocals and there are a couple of standout tracks that are a throw back to their glory days; “Target,” “Hell Yeah!” and “Candy” that’s not to say that these are on par with classics "Twelve O'Clock High," “Wicked Bitch” or "Great Guns Of Fire." Hell Yeah! leads you to conclusion that Tommy Thayer’s absence is greatly missed on this album and this not the comeback album that longtime fans envisioned.

www.myspace.com/blacknblueofficial

In the news: A Perfect Circle to tour in 2011

2011-03-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Tim Cadiente (Left to right: James Iha, Matt McJunkins, Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese, Maynard James Keenan)

LOS ANGELES, Mar. 21 -- A Perfect Circle will tour North America for the first time in six years, kicking off their 2011 tour dates with a headlining performance at Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio on May 22.

The band returned from their self-imposed hiatus in the fall of 2010 for a handful of intimate Western U.S. dates, which sold out within a minute of going on sale.

A Perfect Circle tour dates:

May 22 Columbus, OH Rock on the Range

June 29 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
30 Kent, WA Showare Center

July 2 Gibbons, AL Boonstock Festival
4 Winnipeg, MB Centennial Concert Hall
6 St. Paul, MN Roy Wilkins Auditorium
8 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
9 Toronto, ON Edgefest
12 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion
13 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
15 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
16 Philadelphia, PA Penn's Landing - Festival Pier
17 Washington, DC Constitution Hall
19 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
20 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
22 San Antonio, TX Freeman Coliseum
23 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre
25 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
28 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheater
29 Sacramento, CA Memorial Auditorium
30 Berkeley, CA The Greek Theatre

August 2 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
9 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE

On-sale information coming soon.

The band re-launched www.aperfectcircle.com over the weekend.

A Perfect Circle is Maynard James Keenan (Tool, Puscifer), Billy Howerdel (Ashes Divide), James Iha (Tinted Windows, ex-Smashing Pumpkins), Josh Freese (Weezer, Devo) and Matt McJunkins (Puscifer).

www.facebook.com/aperfectcircle

www.aperfectcircle.com

www.twitter.com/aperfectcircle

In the news: Sister Sin release music video for "24-7"

2011-03-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

SISTER SIN Release Music Video for “24/7”

Sweden’s SISTER SIN shows once again that they know not only how to rock, but how to put on one hell of a party. Their video for “24/7” from the album True Sound of the Underground features bazookas, girl fights, head banging, and lots of shredding; what more could you want from a Sister Sin video?

In the news: Black 'N Blue to issue "Hell Yeah!"

2011-03-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Frontiers Records is excited to announce the release of the new album from Portland-based rockers Black 'N Blue on May 13th in Europe and May 17th in North America. "Hell Yeah!" is a proud comeback statement for a band that wrote the pages of hard rock history in the 80's. Black 'N Blue released four successful and critically-acclaimed albums through Geffen Records: their self-titled debut (1984), "Without Love" (1985), "Nasty Nasty" (1986), and "In Heat" (1987), with the latter two albums produced by the legendary Gene Simmons of KISS. Catalogue sales in the US were in excess of one million units and the band's original guitar player Tommy Thayer went on to replace Ace Frehley in the current KISS lineup. Black 'N Blue reunited for the first time in 2003 under the initiative of singer Jaime St. James, when he began writing tracks for a new album along with original member, Jef "Woop" Warner. The process came to a halt when St. James joined Warrant as their new lead vocalist in February of 2004. In recent years, Jaime has been releasing records and touring the world with Warrant. In late 2008, plans to get back into the studio and finish the "Hell Yeah!" album were underway, as well as festival appearances and other touring. "The band's line-up is all original except Shawn Sonnenschein", tells Jaime St. James "but he has been in the band now for about 8 years. Still the new guy... Jeez!". Black 'N Blue recently joined the ever-expanding roster of Frontiers Records. "Hell Yeah!" goes back to the roots of the "classic" Black 'N Blue sound, mixing tight and hard rocking songs with a sleazy attitude. "This new album is a real thrill for us and all of the BNB fans" says St. James. "Our last studio recording was in 1988 so it's a big deal. This is a classic BNB-sounding CD and could be described as a cross between all our previous records. It is heavy for the most part, but I like to think it reminds me of our first album. That's why we brought back the original logo. We just modernized it". Black 'N Blue will make a special live appearance at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merryweather Post Pavilion in Columbus MD on May 14th. More shows and festivals to be announced. The new album "Hell Yeah!" will include the following tracks: Monkey Target Hail Hail Fool's Bleed C'mon Jaime's Got The Beer Angry Drunk Son Of A Bitch So Long; Trippin' Falling Down Candy Hell Yeah! World Goes Round WebLinks: www.frontiers.it/ www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords/ www.myspace.com/blacknblueofficial Courtesy of http://www.sleazeroxx.com/ and http://www.frontiers.it/

In the news: Ozzy Osbourne -Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman Expanded Editions

2011-03-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

This year's crazy winter will continue well into the spring with a blizzard as intense as it gets.

On May 31, music fans will have their first taste of re-issues from rock icon OZZY OSBOURNE's catalog of work with the releases of two albums which form the cornerstone of Ozzy Osbourne's career as a solo artist: Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman (Epic Records/Legacy Recordings). Long revered by rock fans around the world, these two albums created a template for hard rock in the 1980's and beyond as they were marked by the ground-breaking and historic union of Ozzy and the late guitar hero Randy Rhoads. These definitive versions of 1980's Blizzard of Ozz (with previously unreleased bonus tracks) and 1981's Diary of a Madman are available individually on vinyl or CD, or together in a deluxe collector's box. All versions were restored and remastered from the original analog sources by George Marino.

The 30th Anniversary Edition of Blizzard of Ozz CD includes the original album in its entirety, restored and remastered for this edition, with bonus tracks, while the new Legacy Edition of Diary of a Madman includes the original album in its entirety, restored and remastered for this edition, with a bonus second CD of previously unreleased live performances featuring Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads with rhythm section Rudy Sarzo (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (drums). A single disc version of the remastered Diary of a Madman will also be available.

For serious fans and collectors, the limited edition 30th Anniversary deluxe boxed set houses the restored and remastered vinyl and CD editions of Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, the "Ozzy Live" compact disc. Beyond the music, the box set is highlighted by a variety of exclusives including an expansive 100-page coffee table book, a two-sided wall-size poster, a precise and detailed full-size replica of Ozzy's iconic gold cross that he has worn for 30 years, and "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" DVD.

This new "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" DVD chronicles Ozzy's years with Randy Rhoads features previously unseen footage of Ozzy and Randy filmed in 1981 & 1982; it incorporates rare archival photos and films; along with new and revelatory interviews with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Lemmy (Motorhead), Steve Vai, Nikki Sixx, Rob Halford, Zakk Wylde, Bill Ward and more. The DVD also contains over 70 minutes of additional rare live performances and interviews; included is the premiere of more than 30 minutes of newly-discovered never-bootlegged footage of Ozzy and Randy from the Blizzard of Ozz tour shot from the front of the stage at New York's fabled Palladium on May 2, 1981. This new feature is a must-see for aficionados of Ozzy's epic release, Blizzard of Ozz and its pivotal effect on rock & roll history.

Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman are landmark albums that took metal in a new direction in the early 1980's, inspiring whole new generations of rock bands and fans. "Crazy Train," the first single from Blizzard of Ozz, has become one of Ozzy's musical signatures, a perennial on the rock playlists and as part of Ozzy's live performances.

Blizzard Of Ozz (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition)
1. I Don't Know (5:13)
2. Crazy Train (4:51)
3. Goodbye To Romance (5:33)
4. Dee (0:49)
5. Suicide Solution (4:17)
6. Mr. Crowley (5:02)
7. No Bone Movies (3:52)
8. Revelation (Mother Earth) (6:08)
9. Steal Away (The Night) (3:28)

BONUS TRACKS
10. You Looking At Me, Looking At You (Non-LP B-Side, Previously Unreleased in the U.S.) (4:15)
11. Goodbye To Romance (2010 Guitar & Vocal Mix, Previously Unreleased) (5:42)
12. RR (Previously Unreleased - Randy Rhoads guitar solo) (1:13)

Diary Of A Madman (Legacy Edition)

DISC 1
1. Over The Mountain (4:31)
2. Flying High Again (4:44)
3. You Can't Kill Rock And Roll (6:59)
4. Believer (5:15)
5. Little Dolls (5:39)
6. Tonight (5:50)
7. S.A.T.O. (4:07)
8. Diary Of A Madman (6:14)

DISC 2 - Ozzy Live (recorded on the Blizzard of Ozz tour)
1. I Don't Know
2. Crazy Train
3. Believer
4. Mr. Crowley
5. Flying High Again
6. Revelation (Mother Earth)
7. Steal Away (The Night)
8. Suicide Solution
9. Iron Man
10. Children Of The Grave
11. Paranoid

Diary of a Madman/Blizzard of Ozz 30th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set

Box Set Includes:
Blizzard Of Ozz (30th Anniversary Expanded Edition)
Diary Of A Madman (Legacy Edition)
Blizzard Of Ozz (180-gram LP - original album only)
Diary Of A Madman (180-gram LP - original album only)
DVD - contains "Thirty Years After The Blizzard" documentary - and additional rare and unreleased performances and interviews

Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com/ and www.epicrecords.com/

Sleaze Roxx Interview with Stryper singer/guitarist Michael Sweet

2011-03-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

Photograph by Jon T. Cruz

I caught up with with Stryper's Michael Sweet recently. Here's an excerpt of the interview for Sleaze Roxx:

Sleaze Roxx: "Set Me Free," "Lights Out," "Heaven And Hell," "Blackout"... there isn't a clunker to be found on The Covering. The only song that I was willing to pass on was "Shout It Out Loud", simply because I'm a huge KISS make-up era fan and I've played that to death -- but I was pleasantly surprised at how well that turned out too.

Michael Sweet: I'll tell you, we went in there with the best intention of paying respect to the songs. At the same time we also wanted to add our spin to it. I have to add that the most important part of this album was how much fun we had making it. I think that energy shines through in the music. We accomplished what we set out to do, which was to pick some great songs and have a blast recording them.

The rest of the interview can be viewed by clicking the link below:

http://www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/michaelsweet.shtml

Sleaze Roxx Interview with guitarist Brian Robertson formerly of Thin Lizzy and Motorhead

2011-03-20T20:16:00.001-07:00

I caught up with with Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy and Motorhead fame recently. Here's an excerpt of the interview for Sleaze Roxx:

Sleaze Roxx: What's your take on Scott Gorham resurrecting Thin Lizzy? He put the band back together about 10 years ago.

Brian Robertson: Yeah. I think it's been longer than that. I have to be honest -- I suppose I should be, right -- I am going to be honest, I'm not going to bullshit you. The thing with John Sykes was a complete waste of time. John is out for John, and the whole band became a heavy metal caricature of Thin Lizzy. The Lizzy diehards didn't like it because it just got so heavy metal. That version of the band had more to do with John and his ego than it was to do with the memory of Thin Lizzy.

As for the new Thin Lizzy line-up, I haven't heard or seen them. I've read some of the reviews that have been coming in, and have been speaking to a few people, and by all accounts they are playing very tight and it's much better than what they were doing with John Sykes. I can see and understand it, but as I say, I haven't personally seen or heard them. I'd love to see them go into the studio and do something new. The way I see it, 10-15 years of playing the old stuff is 10-15 years that you've wasted. Then again you have to stop and think, if they'd gone into the studio with Sykes would it have been worthwhile for the Lizzy name? I think definitely not. It would have turned out with heavy metal riffs and no melody. That would have probably pissed Scott (Gorham) and Brian (Downey) off to no end. Sounds like the fans are enjoying the band more than when Sykes was in the band. I'm not knocking Sykes here, he's a good friend, but he was fine with Thin Lizzy when Phil was still there and when he started to do it on is own it went a bit haywire.

The rest of the interview can be viewed by clicking the link below:

http://www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/brianrobertson.shtml

In the news: A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH

2011-03-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

DEBUT ALBUM "AND HELL WILL FOLLOW ME" DUE OUT THIS JUNE

SPV is pleased to announce that A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH, the new band lead by Life of Agony's Sal Abruscato have signed a worldwide recording contract with Steamhammer/SPV. Their debut album entitled "And Hell Will Follow Me" is currently scheduled for release in June 2011.

Sal Abruscato was born in Brooklyn, NY Started playing drums at age 10. He is the co-founder of Type O Negative with Peter Steele and performed on Slow, Deep & Hard, Origin Of The Feces, Bloody Kisses and various best of and soundtracks. Sal is the drummer for Life Of Agony and performed on River Runs Red, Ugly, River Runs Again, Broken Valley. Additional projects include Supermassiv & My Mortality. He is now the singer, songwriter and guitarist for A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH.
Sal Abruscato had the following to say about signing with SPV/Steamhammer:
"I am so stoked about joining SPV, I'm Looking forward to a fruitful and successful relationship with such a reputable label as SPV"

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH'S live lineup includes Sal Abruscato (Life of Agony) on guitars and vocals, drummer Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative, Seventh Void), Bobby Hambel (Biohazard) on guitar, Matt Brown (Supermassiv, Seventh Void) also on guitars and Eric Morgan on bass.

In the news: In This Moment-Hell Hath No Fury Tour

2011-03-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

In This Moment to headline revolver magazine 'hottest chicks in hard rock: Hell Hath No Fury' tour

IN THIS MOMENT have electrified the rock world with their opus 'A Star-Crossed Wasteland'. From climbing into radio's coveted Top 40 with the single "The Promise" or touring relentlessly alongside KoRn, Disturbed and Sevendust as part of the Music As A Weapon tour, the band has already kicked off 2011 with a bang. Now they are excited to reveal plans for their first headlining tour of 2011. REVOLVER Magazine presents 'Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock: Hell Hath No Fury' tour sponsored by Keep A Breast Foundation featuring IN THIS MOMENT with support coming from Straight Line Stitch, System Divide and Sister Sin.

Dates for the tour are available at RevolverMag.com: http://www.revolvermag.com/beta/news/exclusive-hottest-chicks-in-hard-rock-tour-details-announced.html

Frontwoman Maria Brink comments: "IN THIS MOMENT are extremely happy to team up with Revolver Magazine and Keep A Breast Foundation for the 'Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock Tour'! It is always an honor to work with Revolver and we are excited to support a worthwhile charity in Keep A Breast Foundation by donating a percent of all CD sales on this tour to the charity. Most of all, we are excited to get back on the road and see all of you! Come out to a show and rock out with us!"

The tour will kick off on April 22nd in Santa Ana CA and run through May 15th. During the tour, Maria will be filming exclusive video blogs for Revolver and will be interviewing each of the other frontwomen on this incredible package. IN THIS MOMENT and CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS will be donating a percentage of all CD sales on this tour to the Keep A Breast Foundation, who will also be launching exclusive charity auctions during the tour. VIP ticketing will also be available for this tour, stay tuned for more information.

In the news: BLACK LABEL SOCIETY-"THE SONG REMAINS NOT THE SAME"

2011-03-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY TO RELEASE UNPLUGGED ACOUSTIC ALBUM "THE SONG REMAINS NOT THE SAME" MAY 3RD

OFFERING FEATURES UNPLUGGED VERSIONS OF MATERIAL FROM
"ORDER OF THE BLACK" AND MORE; SET CONCEIVED, CREATED AND COMPILED BY BLS FRONTMAN/GUITAR GOD ZAKK WYLDE

(New York, NY) - BLS frontman/guitar god Zakk Wylde is proud to announce the upcoming release of THE SONG REMAINS NOT THE SAME (Entertainment One Music) on May 3rd. The offering features unplugged versions of material from Black Label Society's latest album, ORDER OF THE BLACK, as well as additional material recorded during the ORDER OF THE BLACK sessions. THE SONG REMAINS NOT THE SAME was conceived, created and compiled by Zakk Wylde himself and the title is, of course, a nod to one of Wylde's favorite bands, Led Zeppelin. Click here for cover art and please see below for full track listing.

In other Black Label Society news, the next single from ORDER OF THE BLACK, "Darkest Days" impacts at radio on March 21st. The track showcases Wylde's softer side with soulful lyrics, a hauntingly beautiful melody and captivating piano played by the guitar icon himself. An alternate version of the song featuring country superstar John Rich will appear on THE SONG REMAINS NOT THE SAME.

After wrapping up a series of sold-out dates in Europe, Black Label Society will return to North America in early May to headline Fuse's Uranium Tour 2011 Presented By Mistress Juliya. Please see below for tour dates.

About Zakk Wylde/Black Label Society
In the two decades since Ozzy Osbourne hired him away from his job at a New Jersey gas station, Zakk Wylde has established himself as a guitar icon known and revered the world over. Wylde has won nearly every guitar award imaginable, graced countless magazine covers and is a major influence to a new battalion of rock guitarists. Writing and recording with Osbourne led to multi-platinum success, inspiring him to create the now iconic Black Label Society in 1998. In the decade plus since, BLS has turned the notion of what a rock band should be upside down by inspiring legions of fans (known as Berserkers) all over the world to follow the mantra: Strength, Determination, Merciless, Forever (SDMF for short). Wylde and his Berserkers have established a heavy metal institution true to the vision of uncompromising, unfiltered and unrestrained rock 'n' roll. To date, Black Label Society has sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide and continues to be a massive presence on the worldwide touring and merchandising circuits. Black Label Society's latest album, ORDER OF THE BLACK (Entertainment One Music), was released in August, 2010 and debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart.

THE SONG REMAINS NOT THE SAME track listing:

1. Overlord (Unplugged version)
2. Parade Of The Dead (Unplugged version)
3. Riders Of The Damned (Unplugged version)
4. Darkest Days (Unplugged version)
5. Juniors Eyes
6. Helpless
7. Bridge Over Troubled Water
8. Can't Find My Way Home
9. Darkest Days (featuring John Rich)
10. The First Noel

Uranium Tour 2011 Featuring: Black Label Society. Presented by Mistress Juliya of Fuse:

MAY
4 San Diego, CA House Of Blues
6 Los Angeles, CA House Of Blues
8 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
10 Dallas, TX House Of Blues
11 Houston, TX House Of Blues
13 Denver, CO Fillmore Theater
15 Des Moines, IA KAZR radio show*
17 Buffalo, NY Townhall Ballroom
18 Wallingford, CT The Dome
22 Columbus, OH Rock On The Range*
23 London, ON Cowboys
24 Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall
26 Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium+
27 Madison, WI Majestic Theater+
28 Minneapolis, MN 93X radio show*
29 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma*
31 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
JUNE
1 St. Louis, MO The Pageant**
3 Atlantic City, NJ House Of Blues**
4 New York, NY Irving Plaza**
5 Richmond, VA The National**

*Black Label Society only
**No All That Remains, Rev Theory
+ No All That Remains

For more information please visit:

www.blacklabelsociety.com/

www.zakkwylde.com/

Wilde Starr - Arrival

2011-03-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Furnace Maximus Records 2009

Wilde Starr released their debut album in 2009 but they are still pushing it hard in 2011 in hopes to make a ripple in North America market. The album is entitled Arrival and it’s the brainchild of the duo guitarist Dave Starr and singer London Wilde. Dave you might recall is the former bassist for power metal acts; Vicious Rumors, Chastain, and Bay Area thrash band Laaz Rockit. London might not be familiar to you but you must become familiar with her - she’s a powerful vocalist. Her style isn’t that far removed from Queensryche’s Geoff Tate or Fate Warning’s Ray Adler. Wilde can reach those high notes; her shrieks can make the hair on the back of your neck and arms stand on end. Dave Starr known for his bass playing is surprisingly a gifted guitarist. His solos an Arrival have razor sharp precision and he plays just enough as to not enter guitar-wankery territory. In addition to guitar Starr also played bass and the band was rounded out by drummer and former Vicious Rumors band mate Jim Hawthorne.

Arrival isn’t too long at 10 tracks-it’s perfect. The song sequencing is good, it starts with “Rose In The Dark” which has a symphonic metal intro but shifts into power metal mode and sets the tone for the album. The guitar tone sounds fantastic, the vocal is crisp and dominant. Unfortunately the bass and drums get buried by the vocals, guitar and atmospheric keyboards at times. The only track that lost me a little was “Nevermore” it’s a ballad that just didn’t grab me like the rest of the album. The song marks Wilde Starr going into cruise control for the first time on the album, fortunately the record closes out on a high note with one of the highlights “Voice In The Silence” and “The Chain.”

The Verdict: Wilde Starr is a memorable, no frills, traditional female fronted power metal band that you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on in the years to come.

www.wildestarr.com/

Interview with Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear)

2011-03-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

Photography by Harry Hmh 2010

Recently I caught up with Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear whi released his ultra-cool metal album Scheepers. I was lucky enough to catch him during one of a his press rounds and asked a few questions. Hope you enjoy it.

Ralf your solo album has been in the works for about three years or so. How much material did you accumulate since 2007 for the album?

Actually the gathering of ideas began pretty early, even as I never thought about recording a solo album once. But you can say that the majority of the material has been written in the last three years, yes. It was pretty much all I have collected which is now on the album.

You have some guests on the album some being band mates past and present were you afraid that their participation would make this effort sound like Primal Fear or Gamma Ray?

No, not at all. Of course it will always sound a bit like Primal Fear when I sing songs as I am the vocalist of that band but I think there are enough examples on my album which make it clear that this is a different kind of thing. On the other hand, those songs which sound like Primal Fear have been chosen because the name Ralf Scheepers stands for heavy metal and it would have been stupid to release a ballad only album. For example Kai (Hansen) recorded one solo for the song "The Pain Of The Accused" and he did a fantastic job on it but there is no reason at all why the entire song should sound like Gamma Ray.

Was Scheepers recorded in a recording studio off site or was this created in a home studio? The reason I ask is that pro-tools are the norm these days. What’s your thought on using them?

The recordings were taking place in different studios. The drums where recorded in Sweden at a good friends studio and all other parts of guests and friends were recorded in several home studios. We all have good systems now and everyone is quiet aware of what he’s doing in finding a good sound. There are some technical subtleties you have to know and which are very important of course but over the years of working in studios we have all learned a lot. It’s ok to work this way when you do such a project but as a band I think it’s still necessary to sit together and compose in one room and one studio to keep the band feeling and vibe on an album.

One of the notable tracks on the album is “Remission of Sin” featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens. What inspired you to ask Tim to sing on that? You could have easily done the entire song on your own. Did Tim wind up sending you his performance via sound file of how did that happen?

As I have met Tim Owens at a festival in Spain several years ago, we had a great chat about different things in music and also of singing and Judas Priest of course. We stayed in touch and became good buddies in the end. He was very postive about the idea of singing a duet with me-so we did it. And yes, he sent his files via internet like all of the participants.

“Saints of Rock” is a fantastic track, the more I listen to it the more I think it’s the metal equal to Judas Priest’s “Metal Gods.” It’s epic and anthemic like that.

I composed that song for my band Tyran Pace in 1986 and I wanted to
re-record it with a more modern sound.

In the Tyran Pace version the entire choir on the track was sung by Charlie Huhn (Ex-Victory), so I also wanted to do the choir on my own for my solo album. I'm glad that you like it, thank you.

Speaking of Priest, you managed to sneak in “Before the Dawn on the album. Why that song in particular?

I have always loved this track very much. ”Before The Dawn” has this great feeling and vibe to me. As I am playing the acoustic guitar as well, so I thought why not playing all the instruments on a cover of that track? The only thing I didn’t do was the fantastic solo we hear on that track- it’s a great one by Victor Smolski (Rage).

I love how you sequenced the album; the closer is a ballad “Compassion” it’s got a Celtic vibe to it. That’s my favorite song on the album. What’s the inspiration for the song?

Wow, Cool thanks! I'm happy that you like this song in particular. The inspiration came as I have seen the news on TV and I saw all those poor people who were suffering from the earthquake in Haiti. As I had my acoustic guitar in my hands I was playing some chords to the melody I had in my mind. The lyrics for this one also came very easily. I just wanted to give my 2 cents on the imbalanced world where we still have much too wealthy and on the flip side of it the way too poor people. We all should think a bit and maybe donate some money the poor countries.

Did you have stuff that was left over that didn’t make the album? Was that material recorded?

There is only one track which is a left over and which might be on a possible next album. It was recorded here at home in my studio and is still in demo stages.

I imagine you’ll be playing live in Europe behind this album? Is there a chance we’ll see you in the United States at all?

So far we have never talked about touring for my solo album or doing a single one off show for it. We are very busy guys and everyone is also involved in different projects and bands. We’ll also be working on preparing the next Primal Fear studio album. I also think we should wait for the reaction of the market before discussing this further. Primal Fear was and will always be top priority.

Any time frame on when you’ll begin writing for the new album?

We are composing songs for our next Primal Fear studio album these days. We will also be heading down to South America on February 22nd to do 5 shows there (Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Brazil) - then we will team up to write more songs and record our new album in summer. We will participate in several summer festivals before we will plan the next huge tour throughout Europe and maybe the United States.

One last question; I didn’t ask the last time I interviewed you. What are your thoughts on the comparison that you’ve received over the years vocally to Rob Halford?

It's a great compliment to be compared to one of the best in this business at first place. But I am also very aware of having developed my own kind of thing over the years. You can't only hear this on my solo album, also on so many of the Primal Fear albums. I like the fact that I’m compared to Rob but it would be stupid to say that I'm a clone, to me that just insane.

www.facebook.com/ralf.scheepers

Lez Zeppelin –Lez Zeppelin I

2011-03-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

Pie Records 2011

Led Zeppelin‘s debut album released on Atlantic Records on 12 January 1969 stateside, received an unfavorable review upon it’s release by Rolling Stone. Decades later it made onto the magazine’s top albums. The album is a classic album and likely in the collection of many a hard rock, metal and blues fan.

This brings us to Lez Zeppelin New York’s all-female tribute to the band that fused the blues with rock ‘n’ roll. Lez Zeppelin have elected for their sophomore album to tackle the timeless Led Zeppelin album. Tribute bands do good business because they fill a void, case in point with Led Zeppelin they are not an active band. Fans want to hear the music and tributes bands fill that need. Lez Zeppelin do a formidable job executing the songs of Led Zeppelin but do people want to buy music that they already own by the original artist? I’d have to say that it’s highly unlikely, Lez Zeppelin I delivers the goods, but I already knew that because the songs are already classics.

The Verdict: You know the music and you know how great it is, having said that you’re buying it again for a novelty.

Sample Lez Zeppelin - "Communication Breakdown" 2010

www.lezzeppelin.com/

Moving right along....Jeff Beck & Sin-Atra

2011-03-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

Jeff Beck - Rock ‘n’ Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul

Audio CD Atco/Rhino 2011

DVD Eagle Rock Entertainment 2011

Jeff Beck goes all out in this live tribute to the legendary Les Paul. Recorded live Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, Beck brought some friends to help in this salute Paul. Among the special guests are; Darrel Higham, Brian Setzer, Trombone Shorty, Gary “U.S.” Bonds and songstress Imelda May who steals the show with her impeccable performance. The set includes jazz, blues, rockabilly standards made famous by Les Paul & Mary Ford. Among the highlights on Rock ‘n’ Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul are; “The Train Kept A Rollin,” “Tiger Rag,” “Walking In The Sand,” “Twenty Flight Rock,” and Beck’s rendition of the guitar staple “Peter Gun.” Rock ‘n’ Roll Party isn’t for everybody but if you have a love for the blues and rockabilly this is worth a listen, chances are you’ll love it. There’s also a DVD of this performance with additional tracks that didn’t make the audio disc with a number of very cool extras. This is a great companion album to Jeff’s 1993 release Crazy Legs where he tackled the work of Gene Vincent.

www.rhino.com/

www.eagle-rock.com/

Sin-Atra - Various Artists

Armoury Records 2011

Bob Kulick has made a name for himself in the past decade by recording novelty and tribute albums throughout the years. Bob gets the best of the best singers from metal, hard rock, and AOR genres and put them together with a “house band” that plays throughout the album with different singers.

I was surprised that someone found it necessary to take Frank Sinatra’s catalog and beefed it up. Is there a need for this? I’d would say no, but like with many of these albums you can’t judge until you listen to Sin-Atra in it’s entirety. Chances are even if you’ve never been a Frank Sinatra fan you’ll know the music, because it’s been used on television and film for years. The truth is that Sinatra’s work doesn’t translate well into hard rock & metal. There are a handful of notable moments that work very well; Glenn Hughes’ take of “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” is a bombastic soul bonanza, King’s x singer dUG Pinnick’s version of “I’ve Got The World On A String,” receives the classic rock treatment, but Eric Martin of Mr. Big delivers the show stopping performance of the album “The Lady Is The Tramp.” Unfortunately there isn’t more of the aforementioned and there’s just too many train wrecks like; Anthrax’s Joey Belladona version of “Strangers In The Night,” and the horrifying rendition of “Love & Marriage” by Elias Soriano of Ill Nino. I think I just heard the Chairman of the Board rolling over in his crypt.

www.eagle-rock.com/

Brian Robertson - Diamonds and Dirt

2011-03-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

SPV/Steamhammer 2011

Brian Robertson’s Diamonds and Dirt has been decades in the making or so it seems. Certainly there has been plenty of opportunity in the past to record a solo effort. It’s hard to believe that Robertson hasn’t issued a solo album; since his departure from Thin Lizzy or after Wild Horses disbanded or even after he was axed from Motörhead.

Robbo is joined by vocalist Leif Sundin (formerly of Michael Schenker Group), background singer Liny Wood, drummer Ian Haugland (Europe) and bassist Nalley Påhlsson (Treat). Armed with a handful of originals and covers; Robbo and company went into the studio and the result is a mesh of road house, British blues, and classic rock fury. Included in the song selection are the three Frankie Miller penned tracks; "Mail Box,” "Do It Till We Drop (Drop It!)," and "Ain't Got No Money." The highlights include; the unreleased Brian Robertson and Phil Lynott composition "Blues Boy," the reworking of Thin Lizzy classic "Running Back" from their breakthrough album Jailbeak and "It's Only Money" from the Nightlife album. “Running Back” appears in two versions surprisingly the slow version sounds like a fresh new track. “10 Miles to Go on A 9 Mile Road,” and the aforementioned “Mail Box” round out the highlights.

Robbo hasn’t been exactly known for having a signature tone like; Billy Gibbons, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan but he has grown an a guitarist and plays with an urgency of a hungry musician duking it out in the clubs. Diamonds and Dirt was too long in the making let’s keep our fingers crossed that there’s some more new music sooner rather than later.

The Verdict: Robbo didn’t stray too far away from what he knows and what fans expect of him. Diamonds and Dirt should receive a good reception and will open some new doors.

Immortal Dominion - Primortal

2011-02-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

427 Records 2011

Five years after their last effort the Extreme Metal Colorado quintet known as Immortal Dominion returns with their latest effort Primortal. Immortal Dominion worked with producer Sterling Winfield who is known for his work with the post-Pantera projects Damageplan and Hellyeah. Winfield and the Immortal Dominion guys held themselves up in Backbone Studios in their native Colorado to record the band’s third studio effort.

Immortal Dominion are over the top musically but they do have a sense of melody to go with their gruff, pummeling exterior. Immortal Dominion doesn’t lack grinding guitars in fact they have three. Providing the crushing chords are the guitar duo of Brian Villers and Louis Micciullo; an extra punch provided by singer Ray Smith who also plays guitar. If you’ve heard the records that Winfield has been of a part of in the past you know that the rhythm section doesn’t go ignored Immortal Dominion is no exception. Bassist Bryan "Ed" Schmidt, and drummer Casey Glass add the explosiveness to the band’s already potent sound. The true test for Immortal Dominion will be how they intent to stand out from the countless Nu-Metal and Extreme Metal bands out there. A number of Immortal Dominion’s rivals have major label backing with a national or world wide fan base. The standout tracks on Primortal are; “Retoactive,” “Off My Chest," and “Deity Definer.”

The Verdict: Primortal is contemporary album that is sonically proficient featuring a number of good riffs and a handful of memorable songs.

www.myspace.com/immortaldominion

www.facebook.com/immortaldominion

www.purevolume.com/immortaldominion

Twisted Sister - Come Out & Play, Love is for Suckers (reissues)

2011-02-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Armoury Records 2011

Earlier this year Armoury Records issued the previously Spitefire Records issued You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll and Club Daze by Twisted Sister. The second round is comprised of Come Out And & Play and Love is for Suckers. Neither of the two albums were particularly well received at the time of their initial Atlantic Records releases. Come Out & Play found the band trying to recapture the magic of Stay Hungry but found that lightning didn’t strike twice. Gone was Tom Werman and Dieter Dierks was enlisted who had previously been known for his work with Scorpions. Needless to say the result wasn’t a winning formula but it did spawn a couple of notable tracks in the title track and “Be Chrool to Your Scuel” that featured guest appearances by the piano man Billy Joel, Stray Cat Brian Setzer, The E Street Band’s Clarence Clemmons and Alice Cooper who at the time re-establishing himself in the States. There was a video in the vein of “I Wanna Rock” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” for their cover of “Leader of the Pack” never the less the album tanked. The reissue features a lost track from that era entitled “ King of Fools.”

“There's some great shit on there man. That was supposed to be my first solo album. The company and management pressured me into making it a Twisted Sister record.” Snider recalled in a ’09 interview with Sleaze Roxx. Love is for Suckers was commercial, slick and catchy-clearly the doing of hit maker Beau Hill whose work with Ratt scored gold and platinum plaques. Love is for Suckers features a number of standout tracks; the single “Hot Love,” opener “Wake Up the Sleeping Giant,” “Me and the Boys,” and “I’m So Hot for You.” Dee recalls Twisted‘s time in the studio with Sleaze Roxx in ‘09; “The recording, the promotion and touring of Love is for Suckers went on to kill the band. Management and the record company in their infinite wisdom knew best. Oh, let's put five guys who can't stand each other in a studio for three months!” Perhaps some of the tension and stronger material is what made Love is for Suckers a better effort than it’s predecessor but weeks after it’s release the tour was cancelled, the financial backing by Atlantic Records ceased and the band imploded. The album is highly underrated and no one knows if this album would have fared much better as a Dee Snider album; Armoury Records have included four bonus tracks from the studio sessions.

The Verdict: All in all Come Out & Play has it’s moments; Love is for Suckers is still a lost gem now with the added value of the bonus tracks.

www.twistedsister.com/

Wino - Adrift

2011-02-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

AFM Records 2011

When you get bombarded with music left and right you’re bound to overlook some releases. I was guilty of this in 2010; a strong year for heavy music and thus an acoustic album like Adrift could be lost in the shuffle. Such is not the case however; Robert Scott "Wino" Weinrich rolled the bones and has tried his hand at stripping down and going unplugged. Adrift could draw some comparisons to albums like; Jar of Flies, Sap by Alice in Chains or Book of Shadows, Music for Hangovers by Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society. The truth is that Wino’s Adrift is more organic and closer to the work of Neil Young, Cat Stevens or even Bob Dylan. Wino digs deep lyrically while he loses his trademark electrified fuzz.

Adrift was inspired by the passing of Wino’s friend and bandmate Jon Blank. Wino clearly used the music within to help with the loss and grieving the passing of his dear friend. Adrift showcases a side of the doom metal musician that even his most die-hard of fans might have not known existed. I’m completely awestruck that Adrift was created by the same man that has pioneered the second wave doom metal. There are many a standout moment on Adrift; the reworking of Motorhead’s “Iron Horse/Born To Lose” turned out surprisingly well. There is a second cover Wino tackles Savoy Brown‘s “Shot in the Head;” he picks up the pace and adds some real bite to the album. “Hold on Love” is a lyrical masterpiece where Wino bares his soul in song; “Green Speed” closes the album on a high note with some of Wino’s most impressive, blazing guitar work to date.

The Verdict: A terrific change of pace from the loud, distorted guitars that has been the trademark of Wino’s work with The Obsessed and St. Vitus.

http://scottweinrich.com/

Benedictum - Dominion

2011-02-12T20:52:00.000-08:00

Frontiers Records 2011

Benedictum are back with Dominion their third effort on their new label Frontiers Records. Benedictum are fronted by the gorgeous and talented Veronica Freeman who delivers her most commanding performance to date. You can now put her in the same league as the late great Ronnie James Dio, Udo Dirkschnieder, Doro Pesch and the like -she’s that good. Dominion was produced by Ryan Greene who has worked with the likes of Megadeth and Alice Cooper. Dominion like the previous their efforts feature guests; Rudy Sarzo, Craig Goldy and Jeff Pilson make special appearances.

If you’re looking for a pure metal effort in the tradition of Accept, Heaven & Hell & Sabbath look no further than Benedictum. On Dominion the band display a harder edged sound with progressive tendencies; a formula that suits them wonderfully. Guitarist Pete Wells took his playing to another level on Dominion unleashing his most fierce licks, riffs and solos to date. Dominion is stands alone as one of the best efforts of 2011. The tracks “At the Gates,” “Grind it,” “Beautiful Pain,” and “Bang” are outstanding in their own right. There are two bonus cuts “Sanctuary” a killer acoustic power ballad that has hit written all over it; the cover of Rush’s “2112 Overture/Temple of Syrinx” is absolutely spectacular and keeps in the customary pattern of Benedictum covers past.

The Verdict: The first blockbuster power metal album of 2011.

www.benedictum.net/

Motörhead - The Wörld is Yours

2011-02-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

EMI 2011

It’s been a little over two years since Lemmy and Co. released their last album
Motörizer. That record received a pretty good reception following the flat and appropriately titled album Kiss of Death. It’s possible that Motörhead raised the bar so high with Inferno it’s successor was unlikely to meet the high expectations. Having said that, the track record of this incarnation Motörhead, together since 1996 is has been extremely consistent. Motörhead keep rolling out album after album and going on tour after tour with no end in sight.

The Wörld is Yours is Motörhead’s 20th studio effort; making a return is Cameron Webb handling the album’s production. The end result is another incredibly potent, aggressive clash of rock meets metal. There are a number of notable tracks on The Wörld is Yours; on “Brotherhood of Man” we find Lemmy blatantly plagiarizing himself and the result is an expressive, apocalyptic “Orgasmatron 2.0.” Kilmister gives a nod to the golden age of rock with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Music.” This features an amazing riff that sounds like Chuck Berry on steroids. ”Outlaw” finds the band getting shot out of a cannon and promptly proceeds to chug along in true Motörhead fashion. Lastly there is “Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye” which is another clever Kilmister creation; about – you guessed it a woman in Lemmy‘s infamous past.

The Verdict: If you’re a fan you’ll love of if you’re a hater you’ll pan it.

www.imotorhead.com/

Scheepers - self-titled

2011-02-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

Frontiers Records 2011

Ralf Scheepers is renowned in underground metal, hailing from Germany he first came on the radar of American audiences when he fronted Kai Hansen’s Gamma Ray. Scheepers left that band and went on to form Primal Fear with Mat Sinner in 1997. Since that time Sinner and Scheepers have proven to be a force to be reckoned with; writing and recording high grade heavy metal album after album. For his solo outing Scheepers tapped Primal Fear bandmates past and present to play on the album; guitarists Magnus Karlsson, Alex Beyrodt and bassist Mat Sinner make appearances. In addition the album was mixed and mastered by Achim Köhler and produced by Mat Sinner.

Scheepers’ solo album has been in the talking stages since 2007; Ralf’s vision to included material that wasn’t appropriate for Primal Fear and to branch out a little. If you think the album is littered with filler material, think again. The songs are on Scheepers are on par with the quality effort of the Primal Fear backcatalog. Ralf’s ear shattering vocal is taken to the limit on this album, but it isn’t all vocal pyrotechnics as Ralf mixes it up throughout the album with a touch of melodic hard rock as heard on the catchy hook heavy “Saints of Rock.” That track fuses adult oriented rock, hard rock and power metal all in one track. There is a predictable moment as Ralf selects Judas Priest’s “Before the Dawn”; the impressive thing about that track is that Ralf plays everything on the track with the exception of the guitar solo. The standout tracks are; the duet “Remission of Sin” where Ralf dukes it out with Tim “Ripper” Owens in what could be a one of the most historic performances in metal. As mentioned “Saints of Rock” doesn’t disappoint. “Compassion” an acoustic track with a Celtic vibe that closes Scheepers; this is hands down the best track on the album.

The Verdict: Scheepers stretched a little bit but didn’t drive off the beaten path.

www.facebook.com/#!/ralf.scheepers

Interview with Evergrey guitarist/vocalist Tom Englund

2011-01-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

Evergrey was formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1995; they released its debut album The Dark Discovery in 1998. Since that time they have developed a loyal following abroad, playing the festival circuit and headlining their own tours. They have issued a number of notable concept albums; In Search of Truth (2001), Recreation Day (2003), and The Inner Circle (2004). The progressive outfit followed up with Monday Morning Apocalypse (2006), Torn (2008), and their upcoming album Glorious Collision due March 8th, 2011. Evergrey have consistently toured and released music; the mainstay in the band since the it’s inception being singer/guitarist/main contributor Tom S. Englund.

In 2010 there was a shake-up of sorts within the band. In May 2010, it was announced that drummer Jonas Ekdahl, guitarist Henrik Danhage and bassist Jari Kainulainen left the band amicably due to problems interacting with one another. The only remaining band member from the 2002 forward aside from Englund is keyboardist Rikard Zander. Interestingly enough there were no hard feelings with the band members who left; Tom gave us some insight into what happened. He also filled us in on the new record Glorious Collision and touring in North America in 2011.

You’re not going to believe this but I have a link to your new album Glorious Collision, but I haven’t downloaded the album. If it’s a band that I’ve followed for a while I’d like to go out and buy the album and hear it as a rifle through the liners and lyrics

I’m with you. I’m not a big fan of downloading music. It’s boring. It’s soulless. It’s not exciting, it's all of those things. I know that from the marketing standpoint it’s easier for the label. I know in these days people like buying music in the digital format. I like having the physical or hard copy of an album. I’ll say this for metal fans though; they still buy physical albums; more so than fans of other genres. The kids come to the shows with the CD’s and the CD booklets in hand for us to sign afterward. We live in the digital age and while I prefer the physical version I know that you must have music available for purchase via download. Illegal downloading I oppose, because it hurts the artist. I‘m not pointing fingers here; kids today this is how they‘ve brought up they just don‘t know any different. The sad thing about the music industry today is that we as artists have to charge more for the concert tickets as a result. Something has to give.

You have a some new music coming out March 8th the album is titled Glorious Collision; this one features a new line-up. On the new album you and Rikard Zander are the only returning members from Torn. One of the things that often happens with bands when people leave it affects the dynamic and there’s a departure from a band’s sound. Can you speak about this and how the change came about?

The change had nothing to do with the music at all. It basically came down to this between myself and the rest of the guys; we simply didn’t enjoy each other’s company anymore. Why that was we can debate that for days, weeks or even years. In the end that doesn’t even matter. This life demand s so much of you as an artist that if you can’t have fun for the hour or two that you’re on stage it’s juts not cool. It’s not cool to the band, yourself and ultimately not cool to the fans. We are such good friends; Henrik, Jonas and I. I’ve been friends with Jonas for over ten years and fifteen years in Henrik’s case. The friendship that we have is so much more important than Evergrey was or is. Henrik and I saw this when we went out to have a beer when it didn’t have anything to do with Evergrey. We had fun like old times. When it came to discussing Evergrey and the business side of it eventually killed it for us. Henrik and I sat down and I asked him if he need to leave to leave rather than being asked to leave down the road. I didn’t want him to go but the way things were going it was clear he had to. Henrik agreed that he need to go and did. This was an ongoing process for several years it reached a point where things needed to change.

Was that a hard discussion that you had with Henrik and the rest of the guys?

No, no it wasn’t let me make that clear. It was very easy actually. The hard part wasn’t for him to leave Evergrey the hard part was that we were departing as friends. It was a loss in the sense that we knew that we wouldn’t see each other much as a result. Henrik was my best man at my wedding that is how close we are; he’s like my brother he’s been a part of my life for the past fifteen years. In a sense that is why I wanted him to leave because I didn’t want to risk a friendship for something as small and insignificant as Evergrey is.

Did it cross your mind to disband Evergrey?

Since I am the only original member of Evergrey and have been for over a decade; the name will remain with me. I understand where you are coming from; we’ve always changed members and this will be accepted just like the previous line-up changes. In my opinion, the music holds the same quality as the previous albums. When Henrik and the other guys left I spoke with Rikard about continuing on with Evergrey and he was surprised that I wanted to continue. So was I because I really had to think if I wanted to make Evergrey a part of my life for another three to four years. Look it‘s been a year already since we started recording and it‘s not even released yet. Rikard and I tried writing for a week to test thing and to see what would come out of it. We felt enormously relieved that we wrote some songs that were very good. That writing session was like the brakes were off and it was very productive. It was kind of scary because it was new; this was this first time we were on our own in ten years. This was at the same time exciting because there was no limitations; in the past we would take in consideration what the others wanted or what the liked or didn’t like. This wasn’t like that at all.

You mentioned that you had a conversation with Rikard about moving forward with Evergrey. How soon after this conversation did you begin the writing session?

Two days, we needed to find out right away. We needed to make a decision. Wee needed to know right then and there. We were unhappy in Evergrey for about two years prior to recording Torn; we didn‘t want to relive that again. We needed to find out if we felt good doing this. I‘m very happy and I know the my former bandmates are happy where they are. I just spoke to Henrik and he is happy that he left the band, we still remain friends.

It’s a been a while since I saw Evergrey live it was back in 2004 when you supported Iced Earth. How much touring have you done in the United States?

That tour with Iced Earth was great exposure for us, the reception was very good. Since that tour we’ve only done another tour in the United States that was In Flames. The sad thing there is that we had a good thing going in America but since we were unable to tour behind Torn because of SPV’s financial issues; we basically have to start all over. We had a couple of videos on MTV and we had three or four tours there within 18 months. In short Torn was neglected in North America, it beyond our control and that was frustrating.

When can we expect Evergrey back in the United States?

We have a tour booked, we are scheduled to start in September. We will be headling the tour, we’ll take out two other bands. We won’t be playing huge venues here but it will be our first headling tour and we are looking forward to playing an hour and forty-five minutes as opposed to forty minutes as an opening band.

http://evergrey.net/

Evergrey - Webisode - Glorious Collision